ADR shares

Diageo is traded in the US on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DEO. Four ordinary Diageo shares represent one Diageo ADS.

An American Depositary Receipt (ADR) is a negotiable certificate issued by our depositary bank, Citibank. An American Depositary Share (ADS) is the share issued under the ADR agreement which is actually traded.

As the ADR depositary bank for Diageo, Citibank performs the following roles for ADR holders:

  • Records and maintains the register of ADR holders.
  • Is the stock transfer agent.
  • Distributes dividends in US dollars.
  • Facilitates the proxy voting process and exercises the voting rights on behalf of ADR holders.
  • Issues and cancels Diageo ADSs.
  • Distributes company Annual reports, company circulars and Annual General Meeting documents.

For those holders who are not registered because their shares are held through a 'Street name' (nominee account), your nominee will receive company documents from Citibank to distribute to ADR holders. You need to make arrangements with your nominee if you wish to receive such documents and to exercise your vote through the depositary bank at general meetings.

ADR certificates

Your Diageo ADR represents your ownership of shares in the company and can be held in certificate or book-entry form.

If you hold your ADRs in certificate form these should be kept in a safe-deposit box or secure place. Certificates are negotiable documents and should be signed only in the event of a sale or transfer of ownership.

If you hold your ADRs through a 'Street name' (nominee account), these will be in book-entry form and therefore you will not have an ADR certificate.

If you are enrolled in Citibank's International Direct Investment Plan and already own Diageo ADRs in certificated form, you may deposit the certificates into the plan for safekeeping. Citibank will credit these ADRs to your plan account in book-entry form.

To deposit certificates with Citibank, send them via registered mail to the address on our contacts page along with your completed Enrolment Form, which you can download  from Citibank's ADR website.

Visit our contacts page for full Citibank contact details.

Copies of Annual Report on Form 20-F

Diageo will provide a hard copy of its annual report on Form 20-F containing the complete audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to investors upon request.  Requests should be directed to Diageo plc, Attention: Company Secretariat, 16 Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7HS, United Kingdom or to The.Cosec@diageo.com.