PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Stock: Greenleaf Trust Reduces Stake

Greenleaf Trust cut its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 9.8% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 51,332 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,554 shares during the quarter. Greenleaf Trust’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $6,505,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PEP. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter worth $2,755,509,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the second quarter worth about $1,200,274,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at about $297,116,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter valued at about $487,558,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 952.6% in the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,715,812 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,121,000 after purchasing an additional 3,362,794 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP stock opened at $137.34 on Monday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $133.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $145.87. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $123.47 and a 12-month high of $171.48. The company has a market cap of $187.16 billion, a PE ratio of 17.25, a PEG ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.05. PepsiCo had a net margin of 11.09% and a return on equity of 53.08%. The business had revenue of $25.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.95 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.29 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Third-quarter revenue rose 5.6% year over year to $25.27 billion, topping consensus, while core earnings per share of $2.34 also beat estimates. Organic revenue growth accelerated to 3.1%. Why PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Operating trends showed improvement. PepsiCo reported organic volume growth across global beverages and convenient foods, broad strength in international markets, and sequential improvement in North American foods. Its updated outlook calls for approximately 6% net revenue growth and about 3% organic revenue growth in 2026. Why PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal remains a supporting factor. Analysts and investment commentary continue to highlight PepsiCo’s dividend, which offers a yield above 4%, as well as the defensive nature of its combined beverage-and-snacks portfolio. Why Is PepsiCo Stock Falling, and Is It a Buying Opportunity?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and positioning could attract buyers. PEP trades well below its 52-week high, and the median analyst price target cited is $168 versus a recent share price near $137. However, institutional ownership data showed both significant additions and reductions, indicating mixed conviction.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit guidance was reduced. PepsiCo cut its 2026 core constant-currency EPS growth forecast to 1%–2%, down from the low end of its prior 4%–6% range. The downgrade reflects continuing pressure on margins and profitability despite firmer revenue expectations. PepsiCo stock outlook cut as North American reset deepens
• Negative Sentiment: North America remains the key risk. PepsiCo has cut prices by as much as 15% to win back price-sensitive consumers, raising questions about pricing power and future margins. The stock also remains below its 200-day moving average, reflecting investors’ caution about the recovery.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PEP shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $165.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $132.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Friday, October 9th. UBS Group dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $159.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price target on PepsiCo from $176.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $143.28.

Insider Transactions at PepsiCo

In other news, CEO Ramon Laguarta sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.13, for a total transaction of $4,053,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 491,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $66,435,988.85. This represents a 5.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert C. Pohlad bought 184,646 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $128.28 per share, with a total value of $23,686,388.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 433,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $55,546,394.52. The trade was a 74.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) is a global food and beverage company whose portfolio includes Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker, Tostitos, Fritos, and SodaStream. Its products span carbonated soft drinks, sports and energy beverages, bottled water, juices, convenient foods, snacks, and other packaged food offerings.

The company sells products through retail stores, restaurants, food-service providers, e-commerce platforms, and other distribution channels. PepsiCo serves consumers in North America and international markets across Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.