PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Shares Sold by General American Investors Co. Inc.

General American Investors Co. Inc. lessened its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 12.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 140,000 shares of the company’s stock after selling 20,000 shares during the period. PepsiCo accounts for approximately 1.1% of General American Investors Co. Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. General American Investors Co. Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $20,093,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the third quarter worth $31,000. Strategic Advocates LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo continues to expand its autonomous freight network with Gatik, a move that could improve logistics efficiency and help address staffing challenges in hard-to-serve routes. How PepsiCo’s Driverless Freight Rollout With Gatik (PEP) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: The company also highlighted sustainability-focused farmer financing through Compeer Financial, which supports PepsiCo’s supply chain and long-term agricultural sourcing strategy. Compeer Financial Collaborates with PepsiCo to Provide Strip-Till Equipment Financing
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo was included in a Q1 review of beverage, alcohol, and tobacco stocks, but the article was primarily a peer comparison and did not indicate a major new catalyst. Beverages, Alcohol, and Tobacco Stocks Q1 In Review: PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Vs Peers
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate changes were modest, with Erste Group trimming FY2027 EPS slightly to $9.14 from $9.15, suggesting limited impact on the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target on PepsiCo to $150 from $165 and kept a hold rating, signaling more cautious near-term sentiment on the stock. TD Cowen adjusts PepsiCo price target to 150 from 165
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler also lowered its price target on PepsiCo to $178 from $181, reinforcing the view that analysts see only limited upside from here. Piper Sandler adjusts price target on PepsiCo to 178 from 181

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $144.27 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $127.60 and a fifty-two week high of $171.48. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $151.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $152.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market cap of $197.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.35.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.06. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 56.61%. The business had revenue of $19.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.48 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be paid a dividend of $1.48 per share. This is an increase from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 92.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PEP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 5th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on PepsiCo from $181.00 to $178.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $163.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on PepsiCo from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $167.35.

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.