Diageo taps diverse alcohol markets

Article Excerpt

DIAGEO PLC ADR $134 (New York symbol DEO; market cap: $82.6 billion; Dividend yield: 2.5%) is one of the world’s largest premium alcoholic beverage companies. With leading brands Guinness beer, Smirnoff vodka, Johnnie Walker scotch, Bailey’s liqueur and Captain Morgan rum, the U.K. company offers similarly broad exposure to world alcohol markets as liquor ETFs—without the management fees. In its latest six-month reporting period ended December 31, 2017, Diageo’s sales rose 1.7%, to 6.53 billion pounds ($9.35 billion U.S.) from 6.62 billion pounds a year earlier. Earnings rose 6.3% to 2.20 billion pounds ($3.15 billion U.S.) from 2.07 billion pounds. The shares have gained 21% over the past year and now trade at a high 19.6 times the $6.82 per ADR that Diageo should earn in 2018. Still, it has steady growth prospects worldwide. The stock is a recommendation of our Wall Street Stock Forecaster newsletter. Diageo is a worthwhile hold. hold…