Diageo enters new premium market

Article Excerpt

DIAGEO PLC ADR $181 is a hold. The company (New York symbol DEO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; ADRs o/s: 577.6 million; Market cap: $104.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 5.5; Dividend yield: 2.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.diageo.com) is a leading maker of premium alcoholic beverages. Top brands include Guinness beer, Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker scotch. Diageo recently paid an undisclosed sum for Balcones Distilling, a Texas-based distiller of premium whiskies. The purchase will help the company tap strong demand in the U.S. for premium whiskies—sales of those products rose at an average annual rate of 13.3% from 2016 to 2021. The stock also continues to rebound from its March 2020 low of $101. However, consumers could shift to cheaper-priced brands if the economy worsens in 2023. Diageo is a hold. hold…