Diageo plc
British multinational alcoholic beverages company and the world's largest producer of spirits, owning Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, Don Julio, Baileys, and over 200 brands across 180 countries.
Company Type
public
Founded
1997
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Stock
LSE: DGE
About Diageo plc
What does Diageo own?
Diageo owns a portfolio of approximately 200 alcoholic beverage brands including Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Guinness stout, Smirnoff vodka, Don Julio tequila, Baileys Irish cream, Captain Morgan rum, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, Tanqueray gin, Bulleit bourbon, and Cîroc vodka. The company also holds a 34.2% stake in Moet Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of LVMH, giving it indirect exposure to the Hennessy cognac and Moet & Chandon champagne brands. Diageo's brands are sold in nearly 180 countries.
Diageo owns a portfolio of approximately 200 alcoholic beverage brands including Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Guinness stout, Smirnoff vodka, Don Julio tequila, Baileys Irish cream, Captain Morgan rum, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, Tanqueray gin, Bulleit bourbon, and Cîroc vodka. The company also holds a 34.2% stake in Moet Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of LVMH, giving it indirect exposure to the Hennessy cognac and Moet & Chandon champagne brands. Diageo's brands are sold in nearly 180 countries.
Is Diageo publicly traded?
Yes, Diageo plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker DGE and on the New York Stock Exchange as an American Depositary Receipt under ticker DEO. The company has been publicly listed since its formation in 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness. Diageo does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors.
Yes, Diageo plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker DGE and on the New York Stock Exchange as an American Depositary Receipt under ticker DEO. The company has been publicly listed since its formation in 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness. Diageo does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors.
Who founded Diageo?
Diageo was formed on 17 December 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan plc and Guinness plc. Grand Metropolitan was a British conglomerate that owned Smirnoff, Baileys, and J&B, among other brands. Guinness plc owned the Guinness stout brand, Johnnie Walker, and a portfolio of other spirits. The merged entity was named Diageo, a name derived from Latin and Greek roots intended to convey global reach.
Diageo was formed on 17 December 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan plc and Guinness plc. Grand Metropolitan was a British conglomerate that owned Smirnoff, Baileys, and J&B, among other brands. Guinness plc owned the Guinness stout brand, Johnnie Walker, and a portfolio of other spirits. The merged entity was named Diageo, a name derived from Latin and Greek roots intended to convey global reach.
Where is Diageo headquartered?
Diageo is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company maintains its registered office and principal executive offices in London. Diageo's operational footprint spans the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Scotland, Jamaica, Mexico, India, and Canada, among other countries. The company's Scotch whisky operations are centered in Scotland, where it operates numerous distilleries.
Diageo is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company maintains its registered office and principal executive offices in London. Diageo's operational footprint spans the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Scotland, Jamaica, Mexico, India, and Canada, among other countries. The company's Scotch whisky operations are centered in Scotland, where it operates numerous distilleries.
How many brands does Diageo own?
Diageo owns approximately 200 alcoholic beverage brands across spirits, beer, and wine. Of these, 13 brands each generate over one billion US dollars in annual net sales. These billion-dollar brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, Don Julio, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Tanqueray, Bulleit, J&B, Buchanan's, Windsor, and Cîroc. The company also holds a 34.2% stake in Moet Hennessy, which owns additional premium brands.
Diageo owns approximately 200 alcoholic beverage brands across spirits, beer, and wine. Of these, 13 brands each generate over one billion US dollars in annual net sales. These billion-dollar brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, Don Julio, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Tanqueray, Bulleit, J&B, Buchanan's, Windsor, and Cîroc. The company also holds a 34.2% stake in Moet Hennessy, which owns additional premium brands.
Who owns Diageo?
Diageo plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and pension funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Diageo. The company is incorporated in England and Wales and is subject to UK corporate governance requirements, including a board with a majority of independent non-executive directors.
Diageo plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and pension funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Diageo. The company is incorporated in England and Wales and is subject to UK corporate governance requirements, including a board with a majority of independent non-executive directors.
What is Diageo's revenue?
Diageo reported net sales of approximately 20.2 billion US dollars for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2025, with organic net sales growth of 1.7%. The company's fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Free cash flow for FY2025 was approximately 2.7 billion US dollars. Diageo's revenue has faced headwinds from unfavorable foreign exchange movements and challenging macroeconomic conditions in key markets including the United States and Greater China.
Diageo reported net sales of approximately 20.2 billion US dollars for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2025, with organic net sales growth of 1.7%. The company's fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Free cash flow for FY2025 was approximately 2.7 billion US dollars. Diageo's revenue has faced headwinds from unfavorable foreign exchange movements and challenging macroeconomic conditions in key markets including the United States and Greater China.
History of Diageo plc
Diageo was formed on 17 December 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan plc and Guinness plc, two of the largest British consumer goods companies of the 20th century. The merger created the world's largest alcoholic beverages company at the time and was one of the largest corporate mergers in British history.
Grand Metropolitan plc was a British conglomerate that had assembled a portfolio of food, beverage, and hospitality assets over several decades. Its beverage brands included Smirnoff vodka, J&B Scotch whisky, Baileys Irish cream, and Malibu rum. Grand Metropolitan had also owned Burger King, which it sold in 1997 prior to the Diageo merger.
Guinness plc was the Irish brewing and spirits company that owned the Guinness stout brand, Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Bell's whisky, and a portfolio of other spirits brands. Guinness had itself been the subject of a major corporate scandal in the 1980s, when its chairman Ernest Saunders was convicted of fraud related to an illegal share-support operation during Guinness's 1986 takeover of Distillers Company.
The merged entity was named Diageo, a name derived from the Latin "dia" (day) and the Greek "geo" (world), intended to convey the company's global reach. Tony Greener, who had been chairman of Guinness, became chairman of Diageo, and George Bull, who had been CEO of Grand Metropolitan, became the first CEO of the combined company.
In 1998, Diageo sold its Pillsbury food business and its Burger King fast food chain to focus exclusively on alcoholic beverages. The divestitures were part of a strategic decision to concentrate on premium spirits and beer rather than operate as a diversified consumer goods conglomerate.
In 2001, Diageo acquired the Seagram spirits and wine portfolio from Vivendi Universal for approximately 8.15 billion US dollars, in a joint acquisition with Pernod Ricard. Diageo's share of the acquisition included Captain Morgan rum, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, Seagram's 7 Crown American blended whiskey, and several other brands. This acquisition significantly strengthened Diageo's position in North America.
In 2014, Diageo acquired a majority stake in Don Julio tequila from Patron Spirits for approximately 408 million US dollars, gaining full ownership of the brand. Don Julio has since become one of Diageo's fastest-growing brands, delivering double-digit growth in multiple consecutive years.
In 2015, Diageo sold its wine business, including the Blossom Hill and Beaulieu Vineyard brands, to Treasury Wine Estates for approximately 552 million US dollars, further concentrating the portfolio on spirits and beer.
In 2022, Diageo completed the acquisition of a 21% stake in Moet Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of LVMH, for approximately 2.5 billion US dollars, giving Diageo exposure to the Hennessy cognac brand and other LVMH beverage assets.
For the fiscal year ended 30 June 2025, Diageo reported net sales of approximately 20.2 billion US dollars, with organic net sales growth of 1.7%. Don Julio, Guinness, and Crown Royal were identified as standout performers. The company also announced an "Accelerate" cost savings programme targeting approximately 625 million US dollars in savings over three years.
Brands Owned by Diageo plc
View all 7 brandsDiageo plc owns 7 brands in our database. Showing featured brands below.
Baileys
Owned by Diageo plc
Irish cream liqueur brand, the world's best-selling cream liqueur, produced by Diageo.
liqueuralcoholirish-cream
Captain Morgan
Owned by Diageo plc
Brand of spiced rum and other rum-based spirits, one of the best-selling rum brands worldwide.
rumspiritsalcohol
Crown Royal
Owned by Diageo plc
Canadian blended whisky brand created by Seagram in 1939, now owned by British multinational conglomerate Diageo.
whiskycanadian-whiskyalcoholic-beverages
Don Julio
Owned by Diageo plc
Mexican premium tequila brand founded in 1942, one of the world's top-selling luxury tequilas.
tequilaspiritsalcohol
Guinness
Owned by Diageo plc
Irish dry stout beer brand, one of the world's most recognized and best-selling beer brands.
beerstoutalcohol
Johnnie Walker
Owned by Diageo plc
Scottish brand of blended Scotch whisky, the world's best-selling blended Scotch whisky brand.
scotch-whiskyspiritsalcohol
Shop Diageo plc Brands
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Stock Information
Diageo plc Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Portfolio of approximately 200 brands across multiple spirit categories reduces dependence on any single product
- +13 billion-dollar brands provide a stable revenue base with strong pricing power
- +Global distribution network across nearly 180 countries provides scale advantages
- +Premiumization strategy aligns with long-term consumer trends toward higher-quality spirits
- +Stake in Moet Hennessy provides exposure to the cognac and champagne categories
Considerations
- -Exposure to regulatory restrictions on alcohol advertising and sales in multiple markets
- -Consumer health trends and changing attitudes toward alcohol consumption may reduce demand
- -Currency headwinds from a strong US dollar affect reported results from international operations
- -High leverage ratio of 3.4x net debt to adjusted EBITDA limits financial flexibility
- -Accounting irregularities disclosed in 2023 raised governance concerns among investors
Frequently Asked Questions About Diageo plc
What does Diageo own?
Diageo owns a portfolio of approximately 200 alcoholic beverage brands including Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Guinness stout, Smirnoff vodka, Don Julio tequila, Baileys Irish cream, Captain Morgan rum, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, Tanqueray gin, Bulleit bourbon, and Cîroc vodka. The company also holds a 34.2% stake in Moet Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of LVMH, giving it indirect exposure to the Hennessy cognac and Moet & Chandon champagne brands. Diageo's brands are sold in nearly 180 countries.
Is Diageo publicly traded?
Yes, Diageo plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker DGE and on the New York Stock Exchange as an American Depositary Receipt under ticker DEO. The company has been publicly listed since its formation in 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness. Diageo does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors.
Who founded Diageo?
Diageo was formed on 17 December 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan plc and Guinness plc. Grand Metropolitan was a British conglomerate that owned Smirnoff, Baileys, and J&B, among other brands. Guinness plc owned the Guinness stout brand, Johnnie Walker, and a portfolio of other spirits. The merged entity was named Diageo, a name derived from Latin and Greek roots intended to convey global reach.
Where is Diageo headquartered?
Diageo is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company maintains its registered office and principal executive offices in London. Diageo's operational footprint spans the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Scotland, Jamaica, Mexico, India, and Canada, among other countries. The company's Scotch whisky operations are centered in Scotland, where it operates numerous distilleries.
How many brands does Diageo own?
Diageo owns approximately 200 alcoholic beverage brands across spirits, beer, and wine. Of these, 13 brands each generate over one billion US dollars in annual net sales. These billion-dollar brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, Don Julio, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Tanqueray, Bulleit, J&B, Buchanan's, Windsor, and Cîroc. The company also holds a 34.2% stake in Moet Hennessy, which owns additional premium brands.
Who owns Diageo?
Diageo plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and pension funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Diageo. The company is incorporated in England and Wales and is subject to UK corporate governance requirements, including a board with a majority of independent non-executive directors.
What is Diageo's revenue?
Diageo reported net sales of approximately 20.2 billion US dollars for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2025, with organic net sales growth of 1.7%. The company's fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Free cash flow for FY2025 was approximately 2.7 billion US dollars. Diageo's revenue has faced headwinds from unfavorable foreign exchange movements and challenging macroeconomic conditions in key markets including the United States and Greater China.
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