Investment bank, WestLB Panmure, has upgraded its recommendation on the UK drinks group, Diageo, from “neutral” to “buy” in anticipation of the publication of the group’s first half results next week.

“Undoubtedly, the stock could prove to be quite volatile in the run up to the results. Given our understanding of the company’s competitive advantages, we believe that any weaknesses in the price are a buying opportunity,” WestLB said.