The response comes in the wake of a Bloomberg article that said the drinks giant was considering a sale of the drinks business in a deal that could see it net around £8bn.
In a statement, Diageo says: “We note the recent media speculation around the Guinness brand and our stake in Moët Hennessy and we can confirm that we have no intention to sell either.”
Diageo shares rose by as much as 6.8% on 24 January following the Bloomberg story
It follows a period where the stout brand was regularly in the press over its supply issues during the Christmas period, when the brand was rationed in certain places because of ‘exceptional consumer demand’ for the drink in the UK.
Data from CGA in October 2024 showed volumes sales of kegged Guinness had risen by 20% year on year, but sales have risen further since then.
Guinness has been the beer sector’s success story over the past few years and has featured on a number of high-profile social media accounts, including Kim Kardashian, who posted a photo on Instagram enjoying a pint during a visit to London, and American singer Olivia Rodrigo, who did the same.
The Prince and Princess of Wales recently visited the Guinness factory in Dublin where they were also photographed drinking pints of the black stuff.