JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Price

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) had its price objective decreased by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $176.00 to $172.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 12.26% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Barclays upped their target price on PepsiCo from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $163.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $168.58.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $153.21 on Wednesday. PepsiCo has a 12 month low of $127.60 and a 12 month high of $171.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $209.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.40. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $160.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $150.85. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. PepsiCo’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo announced that its board has authorized a share 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 buy up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 59,392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,031,000 after acquiring an additional 6,574 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the first quarter valued at $251,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 138.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $862,000 after purchasing an additional 3,790 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in PepsiCo by 10.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 38,164 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,039,000 after purchasing an additional 3,502 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Investment Management Corp of Ontario raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 29.3% during the 2nd quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 56,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,517,000 after buying an additional 12,914 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Technical/analyst note that the stock “sets up for a tactical bounce” into Q1 earnings on improving momentum, suggesting a potential short‑term rebound if results match expectations. PepsiCo (PEP) Sets Up for a Tactical Bounce into Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: UBS trimmed its price target slightly but kept a “buy” rating, signaling continued analyst conviction and upside from current levels despite near‑term noise. Benzinga Coverage of UBS PT Change
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America and other brokers expect Q1 results to be largely in line with consensus; investors will focus on PFNA affordability progress, PBNA growth initiatives and geopolitical risks. In‑line earnings could limit downside but won’t resolve the pricing/volume debate. PepsiCo seen posting in-line Q1 as analysts flag North America turnaround
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst model updates show a modest fair‑value reset with mixed price target moves — some raises and some cuts — indicating divergent views on how quickly price/affordability actions will show in results. Investment Narrative Is Shifting
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple reports say steep Doritos price increases (up ~50% since 2021) prompted consumer backlash and a subsequent price‑cut strategy that cost PepsiCo significant sales/market value — the headlines are weighing on sentiment. Doritos at $7 a bag ended up costing PepsiCo billions
• Negative Sentiment: In‑depth coverage highlights that delayed price corrections at Frito‑Lay contributed to large market‑cap losses and intensified investor concern about revenue/volume tradeoffs in snacks. Doritos prices jumped 50% in four years and PepsiCo waited until it lost billions
• Negative Sentiment: Distribution/brand risk: reports that Marriott is shifting away from Pepsi in favor of Coca‑Cola for hotel placements amplify concerns about lost shelf/venue presence and brand momentum. Marriott Dumps Pepsi
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction includes headlines noting the stock slipped as Frito‑Lay price cuts “failed to please customers,” reinforcing the narrative that pricing and affordability are near‑term execution risks. PEP slips as price cuts fail to please

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.