PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Stock: Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Boosts Stake

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS grew its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 1.9% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 419,911 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,722 shares during the period. PepsiCo makes up approximately 1.0% of Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $53,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in PEP. Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Next Level Wealth Planning LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Atlatl Advisers LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo Price Performance

PepsiCo stock opened at $141.34 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $133.33 and its 200 day moving average is $145.75. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $123.47 and a one year high of $171.48. The firm has a market cap of $192.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.76, a P/E/G ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.29 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.42 EPS for the current year.

Key PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo renewed its beverage partnership with KFC across eight international markets. The deal extends a longstanding relationship and could support sales and distribution as KFC expands internationally. PepsiCo Secures Renewal Across Select KFC International Markets
• Neutral Sentiment: A valuation analysis argues PEP could be undervalued, citing the KFC renewal and recent share performance. That is an analyst view, not a change to the company’s financial results. PepsiCo (PEP) Could Be 29% Undervalued Following Its KFC Deal Renewal
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo lowered its 2026 EPS growth outlook as North American margin pressures persist. Strong international growth and productivity savings may help offset the weakness, but the guidance cut is a potential drag on investor expectations. PepsiCo Lowers 2026 EPS Outlook as North America Pressures Margins
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo’s CEO reportedly sold shares after the guidance reduction, which could add to investor concerns about the weaker outlook. These 3 Underperforming Stocks Are Seeing Notable CEO Insider Trades
• Negative Sentiment: India’s food regulator has challenged PepsiCo’s energy-drink labeling, alleging the branding could mislead consumers. The dispute introduces potential regulatory and reputational risk, though the articles do not specify any financial penalty. PepsiCo, Monster face FSSAI pushback over energy drink labelling

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $132.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, September 24th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $133.00 to $126.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 12th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on PepsiCo from $159.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on PepsiCo from $145.00 to $133.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 28th. 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $143.28.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc is a global food and beverage company that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of products. Its portfolio includes snacks such as Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, as well as beverages including Pepsi, Gatorade and Mountain Dew.

The company was formed in 1965 through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay. Its products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories through retail, food-service and other distribution channels.

PepsiCo is headquartered in Purchase, New York.