Diageo (LON:DGE) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Diageo plc (LON:DGE) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 0 ($0.00) and traded as high as GBX 2,089.50 ($27.16). Diageo shares last traded at GBX 2,080.50 ($27.05), with a volume of 3,236,259 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on DGE shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a GBX 2,500 ($32.50) price target on shares of Diageo in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Diageo to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from GBX 2,300 ($29.90) to GBX 2,920 ($37.96) in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Diageo to a “buy” rating and set a GBX 2,800 ($36.40) target price for the company in a report on Friday, December 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Diageo presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 2,876.67 ($37.40).

Diageo Stock Down 2.1 %

The firm has a market capitalization of £45.19 billion, a PE ratio of 11.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.36. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is GBX 2,265.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 234.57, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.94.

Diageo Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of GBX 20.75 ($0.27) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.66%. This is an increase from Diageo’s previous dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Diageo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.25%.

Insider Transactions at Diageo

In related news, insider Nik Jhangiani sold 65,676 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 2,165 ($28.15), for a total transaction of £1,421,885.40 ($1,848,524.96). In the last 90 days, insiders have bought 19 shares of company stock worth $43,455. Company insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

About Diageo

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