Diageo: Is It Worth Leading This Industry

  • Diageo has faced a tough 3.5 years, halving its market value, only partly offset by its resilient dividend. Structural headwinds like moderation and changing youth drinking habits challenge long-term growth, despite the company's strong premium brand portfolio. Partly debt-funded shareholder returns have pushed leverage to critical levels, but management targets leverage improvement by FY 2028, and free cash flow at long-term historical averages by FY 2026.