PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $170.97 and last traded at $169.2250, with a volume of 725172 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $169.15.

Key Stories Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $160 after PepsiCo’s earnings (keeps an Equal Weight rating), reflecting model updates post‑report and supporting near‑term valuation. PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) Price Target Increased to $160 at Barclays Post-Earnings Update
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and pieces highlighting PepsiCo’s earnings quality and stability are bolstering investor comfort after the quarter — small EPS and revenue beats reinforce the company’s predictable cash generation. Investors Can Find Comfort In PepsiCo’s (NASDAQ:PEP) Earnings Quality
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum: PEP has rallied (~18–19% in 2026 according to coverage) on the earnings beat, brand strength and cross‑category momentum, which supports continued investor interest. PepsiCo Up 18% in a Month: Smart Entry Point or Wait for a Pullback?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend narrative: coverage noting a peak dividend yield thesis and the stock’s income appeal is likely attracting yield‑focused buyers and long‑term holders. I Predicted That PepsiCo’s Dividend Yield Peaked at 4.4% Because the Dividend King Stock Was Too Cheap to Ignore. Here’s Why Pepsi Is Already Up 19% in 2026 and Could Still Be …
• Positive Sentiment: Product/brand move: PepsiCo is rebranding its Sunbites snack to emphasize fibre — a health positioning that can boost shelf relevance in growth categories. PepsiCo rebrands Sunbites to champion fibre content
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious: a Seeking Alpha piece sees solid momentum into 2026 but still rates PEP a Hold, signaling mixed conviction among investors despite operational upside. PepsiCo: Solid Momentum Coming Into 2026, But I Still Rate It A Hold For Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Other analyst moves vary (one outlet shows a price‑target raise to $130), underscoring differing views on upside from here. PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Price Target Raised to $130.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate/ESG: profile pieces about senior leaders expanding women’s careers in supply chain are positive for culture/ESG but unlikely to move near‑term stock performance. How a PepsiCo exec is paving careers for women in supply chains
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector flow: coverage of the Invesco Food & Beverage ETF (PBJ) notes the group’s resurgence; sector ETFs can amplify PEP moves but are a broader, non‑specific driver. After Stalling Out, PBJ May Be Finally Be Ready To Deliver For Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Debt issuance: PepsiCo launched a €2.5 billion euro‑denominated senior notes offering (multiple tranches), which increases gross debt and could weigh on leverage metrics that investors monitor. PepsiCo Issues €2.5 Billion Euro-Denominated Senior Notes

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $155.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on PepsiCo from $154.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on PepsiCo from $161.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $167.68.

PepsiCo Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $226.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.66, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a fifty day moving average of $149.61 and a 200-day moving average of $147.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.77% and a return on equity of 57.92%. The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 94.83%.

PepsiCo declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PepsiCo

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PEP. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,018,813,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 14,420.2% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,890,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $513,726,000 after purchasing an additional 3,863,893 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 120.7% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,916,417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $830,902,000 after purchasing an additional 3,235,726 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in PepsiCo by 9.7% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 29,031,404 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,833,406,000 after buying an additional 2,556,163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 19.5% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,577,073 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,056,797,000 after buying an additional 2,541,455 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ: PEP) is a multinational food and beverage company headquartered in Purchase, New York. The company develops, manufactures, markets and sells a broad portfolio of branded food and beverage products, including carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, salty snacks, cereals, and other convenient foods. Its leading consumer brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, Quaker, Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, among others.

Formed through the 1965 merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay, PepsiCo has grown into a global business with integrated manufacturing, distribution and marketing operations.