Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) Shares Sold by Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. trimmed its position in Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,853 shares of the company’s stock after selling 593 shares during the period. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Diageo were worth $360,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quantbot Technologies LP increased its holdings in shares of Diageo by 2,939.9% in the second quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 40,674 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,128,000 after purchasing an additional 39,336 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Diageo by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 899,660 shares of the company’s stock worth $113,429,000 after buying an additional 15,363 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in Diageo by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,106,473 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,504,000 after buying an additional 23,435 shares during the last quarter. Angeles Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Diageo by 50.2% during the 2nd quarter. Angeles Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $669,000 after acquiring an additional 1,773 shares during the period. Finally, Bcwm LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 17.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bcwm LLC now owns 62,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,924,000 after acquiring an additional 9,498 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.97% of the company’s stock.

Diageo Stock Up 0.4 %

DEO stock opened at $133.40 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $129.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.55. Diageo plc has a 52-week low of $119.48 and a 52-week high of $161.64.

Diageo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on DEO. Bank of America upgraded shares of Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Royal Bank of Canada raised Diageo from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Citigroup raised Diageo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Diageo Profile

Diageo plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The company offers scotch, gin, vodka, rum, raki, liqueur, wine, tequila, Chinese white spirits, cachaça, and brandy, as well as beer, including cider and flavored malt beverages. It also provides Chinese, Canadian, Irish, American, and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor whiskies, as well as flavored malt beverages, ready to drink, and non-alcoholic products.