Grandfield & Dodd LLC Sells 31,839 Shares of Diageo plc $DEO

Grandfield & Dodd LLC decreased its stake in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 22.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 107,867 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,839 shares during the period. Grandfield & Dodd LLC’s holdings in Diageo were worth $9,233,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Diageo by 12.0% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 463,572 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,513,000 after acquiring an additional 49,504 shares during the period. CORDA Investment Management LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 14.5% in the first quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. now owns 169,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,588,000 after acquiring an additional 21,446 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 10.2% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 186,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,861,000 after acquiring an additional 17,241 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 53.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,372,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $102,124,000 after acquiring an additional 477,999 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 9.5% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 160,477 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,948,000 after acquiring an additional 13,928 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Price Performance

Shares of Diageo stock opened at $93.42 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $89.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $85.89. Diageo plc has a 52 week low of $72.45 and a 52 week high of $102.74.

Diageo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 252.0%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on DEO. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Diageo in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Diageo in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Zacks Research upgraded Diageo from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Berenberg Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Diageo in a research report on Sunday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $99.75.

Diageo Company Profile

Diageo plc is a global beverage-alcohol company headquartered in London, England. It develops, produces, markets and distributes spirits, beer and ready-to-drink beverages through a portfolio of well-known international and regional brands.

Its brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal and Bulleit whiskies; Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas; Captain Morgan rum; Don Julio and Casamigos tequila; Tanqueray gin; Baileys liqueur; and Guinness stout. The company sells products through retail, hospitality and e-commerce channels, serving consumers in markets across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa and other regions.

Diageo was formed in 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness.