PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Price Up 2.7% – Here’s What Happened

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) shares were up 2.7% during trading on Friday. The stock traded as high as $138.59 and last traded at $137.34. 19,394,277 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 137% from the average daily volume of 8,182,100 shares. The stock had previously closed at $133.79.

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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on PEP. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $145.00 to $133.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $132.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of PepsiCo from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. Finally, Evercore cut their target price on PepsiCo from $150.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. One research 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $143.28.

PepsiCo Stock Up 2.7%

The company has a market capitalization of $187.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.25, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.94. The business’s 50 day moving average is $133.59 and its 200 day moving average is $145.89.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $24.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.29 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other PepsiCo news, CEO Ramon Laguarta sold 30,000 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 491,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $66,435,988.85. The trade was a 5.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Robert Pohlad acquired 184,646 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $128.28 per share, with a total value of $23,686,388.88. Following the completion of the purchase, the director 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. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MFG Investments LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $201,000. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 1,108.0% during the third quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,315 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after acquiring an additional 4,875 shares during the period. Associated Banc Corp acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $14,483,000. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Integrity Alliance LLC. grew its position in shares of PepsiCo by 9.0% in the third quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC. now owns 21,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,761,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Company Profile

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.