Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP – Free Report) in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 28,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,072,000.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Miramar Capital LLC increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Miramar Capital LLC now owns 123,449 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,337,000 after acquiring an additional 4,117 shares in the last quarter. Oak Grove Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the third quarter worth about $253,000. Level Four Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of PepsiCo by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 31,839 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,471,000 after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,589,053 shares of the company’s stock valued at $363,607,000 after buying an additional 324,897 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,107,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about PepsiCo
Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options activity: traders bought roughly 207,631 PEP call options (a ~680% rise vs. average daily call volume), signaling heavy short‑term bullish/speculative interest that can amplify intraday buying or hedging flows.
- Positive Sentiment: Product innovation — Gatorade launched “Gatorade Lower Sugar” (75% less sugar, no artificial flavors/sweeteners/colors), a nationwide rollout that targets health‑conscious consumers and could support beverage volume over time. GATORADE LOWER SUGAR BRINGS A NEW ERA OF HYDRATION WITH NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SWEETENERS OR COLORS AND 75% LESS SUGAR THAN GATORADE THIRST QUENCHER
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst/media endorsements for defensive income: PepsiCo is featured in recent lists of consumer‑staples/dividend stocks (e.g., “Top Dividend Aristocrats” and “Consumer‑Staples Stocks to Buy”), which can attract income investors during market volatility and support the share price. Top 3 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy for Strong Returns in 2026
- Neutral Sentiment: Short interest update was published (AmericanBankingNews). Depending on whether short interest rose or fell, this could modestly affect near‑term volatility; the report itself is informational until it shows a clear trend. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Short Interest Update
- Negative Sentiment: Litigation/investor‑alert: Scott+Scott attorneys announced an investigation into PepsiCo’s directors and officers for alleged breach of fiduciary duties — a headline that can weigh on sentiment, raise governance concerns, and create legal/settlement risk. PEPSICO, INC. INVESTOR ALERT: Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP Investigates PepsiCo, Inc.’s Directors and Officers for Breach of Fiduciary Duties — PEP
PepsiCo Stock Performance
PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.
PepsiCo declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
PepsiCo Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 94.83%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of brokerages have commented on PEP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on PepsiCo from $164.00 to $176.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on PepsiCo from $154.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Argus raised shares of PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Eight 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $168.50.
Check Out Our Latest Report on PepsiCo
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.
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