Guinness is an outlier in Diageo's business, which consists mostly of spirits rather than beer, but its performance recently has outshone that of key liquor labels, such as Johnnie Walker whisky.

Diageo Plc said it doesn’t plan to sell the Guinness beer brand or its stake in Moet Hennessy, even as pressure grows on the company to find ways to revive growth.

Shares in Diageo stood at 2,501.5p, up 4.16% on the day. The positions of the Moët Hennessy stake and of Guinness in the Diageo portfolio have periodically been the subject of market speculation. In December 2023, Axios reported Diageo was seeking to sell a clutch of assets in beer but retain Guinness, its flagship brand in that sector.

The drinks giant changed tack over the weekend after declining to comment on a report on Friday (24 January) that it was mulling a potential sale of Guinness.