Blueprint
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
20
September 2017
Commission File Number: 001-10691
DIAGEO plc
(Translation
of registrant’s name into English)
Lakeside Drive, Park Royal, London NW10 7HQ
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F X
Form
40-F
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule
101(b)(1):
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule
101(b)(7):
20 September 2017
Diageo issues trading commentary ahead of AGM 2017
Ivan
Menezes, Chief Executive, commented:
"Our
business continues to strengthen through improved marketing,
innovation, and commercial execution, and we are well set up to
deliver in line with our expectations.
We
expect the H1 organic net sales growth rate will be impacted by the
later timing of Chinese New Year and by the expected impact of the
highway ban in India. Our productivity work continues to move at
pace. As previously announced, we are up-weighting our investment
behind US Spirits and scotch, and as a result we expect our organic
operating margin expansion will be weighted towards H2. Our
expectations on overall performance for the year remain
unchanged.
Underlying
momentum and progress in implementing productivity gives us
continued confidence in our ability to deliver sustainable growth.
We re-affirm our expectation of mid-single digit top line growth
and 175bps of organic operating margin improvement over the three
years ending 30 June 2019."
For further information
|
Media
relations:
|
|
Jessica
Rouleau
|
+44 (0)
208 978 1286
|
|
|
|
Bianca
Agius
|
+44 (0)
208 978 1450
|
|
|
|
press@diageo.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investor
relations:
|
|
Sharon
Rolston
|
+44 (0)
208 978 1219
|
|
|
|
Andrew
Ryan
|
+44 (0)
208 978 6504
|
|
|
|
Rohit
Vats
|
+44 (0)
208 978 1064
|
|
|
|
investor.relations@diageo.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
About Diageo
Diageo
is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding
collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JeB,
Buchanan's and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One
vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and
Guinness.
Diageo
is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180
countries around the world. The company is listed on both the
London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO).
For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and
performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.
Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource,
www.DRINKiQ.com,
for information, initiatives, and ways to share best
practice.
Celebrating
life, every day, everywhere.
ENDS
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This
document contains 'forward-looking' statements. These statements
can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to
historical or current facts. In particular, forward-looking
statements include all statements that express forecasts,
expectations, plans, outlook, objectives and projections with
respect to future matters, and can be statements made about
Diageo's strategy, trends in results of operations, margins, growth
rates and growth rate objectives; estimates of Diageo's cash flows,
effective interest and/or tax rates, cost savings, results of
hedging instruments, cash contributions to post-employment plans,
exchange rate impacts, dividend policies and other shareholder
return objectives, executive compensation levels and outcomes of
litigation, as well as the impact of new accounting policies on
Diageo's consolidated results and financial position. By their
nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty
because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will
occur in the future.
There
are a number of factors that could cause actual results and
developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by these forward-looking statements, including factors that are
outside of Diageo's control. These factors include, but are not
limited to, economic, political, social or other developments; the
negotiating process surrounding, as well as the eventual terms of,
the UK's exit from the European Union; changes in consumer
preferences and tastes as well as overall market trends;
litigation; changes in the domestic and international tax
environment; changes in the cost of production; legal and
regulatory developments, as well as any failure to comply with
existing laws and regulations; events that damage Diageo's image
and reputation; increased competitive and pricing pressures;
Diageo's ability to execute and derive the expected benefits from
its strategies; increased costs for talent and/or labour strikes or
disputes; fluctuations in exchange and/or interest rates; movements
in the value of assets and liabilities related to Diageo's pension
plans; Diageo's ability to renew existing agreements; and/or any
failure by Diageo to protect its intellectual property
rights.
All
oral and written forward-looking statements made on or after the
date of this document and attributable to Diageo are expressly
qualified in their entirety by the above factors and by the 'Risk
factors' included in Diageo's annual report for the year ended 30
June 2017. Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of
Diageo speak only as of the date they are made. Diageo does not
undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect any
changes in Diageo's expectations with regard thereto or any changes
in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement
is based. The reader should, however, consult any additional
disclosures that Diageo may make in any documents which it
publishes and/or files with the US Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC). All readers, wherever located, should take note
of these disclosures.
All
rights are reserved in relation to any reference in this document
to names of Diageo's products which constitute trademarks or trade
names which Diageo owns, or which others own and license to Diageo
for use. © Diageo plc 2017.
The
information in this document does not constitute an offer to sell
or an invitation to buy shares in Diageo plc or an invitation or
inducement to engage in any other investment activities. Past
performance cannot be relied upon as a guide to future
performance.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
|
Diageo
plc
|
|
|
(Registrant)
|
|
|
|
|
Date:
20 September 2017
|
By:
/s/John Nicholls
|
|
|
Name:
John Nicholls
|
|
|
Title:
Deputy Company Secretary
|