PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have issued a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $158.6842.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on PEP shares. Wall Street Zen cut PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $146.00 to $145.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 15th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $164.00 target price on PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Claris Advisors LLC MO lifted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 14.1% in the 2nd quarter. Claris Advisors LLC MO now owns 2,490 shares of the company’s stock worth $329,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares during the period. Foster Group Inc. raised its stake in PepsiCo by 4.6% in the second quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 5,169 shares of the company’s stock worth $683,000 after buying an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in PepsiCo by 46.4% during the second quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 114,344 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,098,000 after buying an additional 36,239 shares during the period. Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its position in PepsiCo by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 25,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,342,000 after acquiring an additional 620 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $872,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo announced partnerships with Siemens and NVIDIA to deploy AI-powered digital twins and other advanced analytics in plants and warehouses — a move that can lower operating costs, speed expansion planning, and improve supply-chain efficiency over time. PepsiCo teams up with Siemens and NVIDIA on AI and digital twin technology
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary highlight that PEP’s valuation looks attractive relative to fundamentals — resilient brands and steady international growth underpin a constructive long‑term thesis despite near‑term volume and cost pressures. That framing supports bargain‑hunting demand. PepsiCo’s Stock Valuation Looks Attractive: Buy or Wait for Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes PepsiCo edging higher after a multi‑day decline, reflecting technical bounce and short‑term positioning rather than new fundamental changes. PepsiCo edges higher after six straight declines
• Neutral Sentiment: Several pieces compare PepsiCo to Coca‑Cola and other defensive consumer names for 2026, useful context for investor allocation but not immediate catalysts. Coca‑Cola Vs Pepsi Stock: Which is the Better Investment for 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk rose after the FTC unsealed data that has prompted a surge in price‑fixing litigation naming PepsiCo (and Walmart). New suits allege long‑running collusion in categories — potential exposure could increase legal costs, settlements or reputational drag depending on outcomes. PepsiCo and Walmart Face Price-Fixing Litigation Surge After FTC Unseals Data

PepsiCo Trading Up 0.4%

PEP stock opened at $139.91 on Friday. PepsiCo has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $160.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $145.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $144.19. The company has a market capitalization of $191.30 billion, a PE ratio of 26.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.42.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 8th. The company reported $2.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $23.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.91 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 7.82% and a return on equity of 57.58%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.31 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $1.4225 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 108.17%.

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.