Intech Investment Management LLC Grows Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Intech Investment Management LLC raised its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 72.8% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 114,559 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 48,260 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $16,442,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

More PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo recently boosted its quarterly dividend by 4% to $1.48 per share, a signal of confidence in cash flow and shareholder returns. The company was also highlighted as one of the best dividend-paying beverage stocks to buy now. Here is Why PepsiCo (PEP) is Among the Best Dividend-Paying Beverage Stocks to Buy Now
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler reiterated a Buy rating on PepsiCo with a $181 price target, suggesting upside from current levels even as investors weigh inflation headwinds. Piper Sandler Sticks With Buy Rating on PepsiCo (PEP) Amid Inflation Concerns
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation announced several sustainability and agriculture initiatives, including support for young European farmers and a low-carbon fertilizer alliance, which may help long-term brand positioning but is unlikely to move the stock immediately. Future Harvest: The European program tackling the decline in generational renewal in farming
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports about new packaging labels, AI hiring priorities, and PepsiCo’s role in APAC sports sponsorship mostly reflect ongoing operational and marketing trends rather than a direct earnings catalyst. PepsiCo new packaging to carry ‘no artificial flavours or colours’ label
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading has shown PepsiCo stock slipping as the broader market rose, with investors still concerned about inflation pressures and margin risk for a consumer staples company facing higher input costs. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PEP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Evercore upped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on PepsiCo from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.11.

PepsiCo Trading Down 1.0%

PEP stock opened at $146.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $199.94 billion, a PE ratio of 22.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.38. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $153.31 and its 200 day moving average is $152.66. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12 month low of $127.60 and a 12 month high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 56.61%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.48 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. This is an increase from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 89.32%.

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

PepsiCo Company Profile

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.