Lafayette Investments Inc. Sells 19,855 Shares of Diageo plc $DEO

Lafayette Investments Inc. decreased its position in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 35.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,527 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19,855 shares during the quarter. Lafayette Investments Inc.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $3,151,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DEO. Arlington Trust Co LLC raised its holdings in Diageo by 3,885.7% in the third quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 279 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings in Diageo by 123.6% in the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 322 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Diageo by 8,000.0% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in Diageo in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX bought a new position in Diageo in the third quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DEO opened at $81.90 on Tuesday. Diageo plc has a 1-year low of $72.45 and a 1-year high of $116.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.60. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $78.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $87.04.

Diageo Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. This represents a dividend yield of 195.0%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DEO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Monday, April 20th. HSBC downgraded Diageo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Argus upgraded Diageo to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $116.50.

Diageo Company Profile

Diageo plc is a global producer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic beverages, headquartered in London, England. The company was created through the 1997 merger of Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan plc and is publicly traded on multiple exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange. Diageo operates a worldwide business, selling products in a broad range of markets across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Diageo’s core activities cover the production, marketing and sale of a diverse portfolio of spirits, beer and liqueurs.