PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the twenty-one ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have given a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $165.2778.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. DZ Bank raised PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $167.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Friday, October 10th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $163.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $155.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PepsiCo

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,330,594,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 14,420.2% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,890,688 shares of the company’s stock worth $513,726,000 after purchasing an additional 3,863,893 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 120.7% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,916,417 shares of the company’s stock worth $830,902,000 after purchasing an additional 3,235,726 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in PepsiCo by 9.7% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 29,031,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,833,406,000 after purchasing an additional 2,556,163 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 19.5% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,577,073 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,056,797,000 after purchasing an additional 2,541,455 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: Q4 results beat expectations and management reiterated FY‑2026 guidance — revenue and adjusted EPS topped estimates, driven by international soda strength and improving beverage momentum. This beat is the primary fundamental catalyst supporting the rally. PepsiCo tops quarterly revenue estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Board authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program (≈4.7% of shares outstanding), signaling management believes shares are undervalued and providing buyback-driven EPS support. RTT News on buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raised — board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.4225 per share, a 5% increase year-over-year, reinforcing income appeal for dividend investors. PepsiCo Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Several sell‑side firms raised price targets (JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, TD Cowen, Barclays among others), which can support momentum and attract allocation flows. Analyst price-target moves
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo will cut suggested retail prices on major snacks (Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos) by as much as 15% to boost affordability and volume ahead of big consumption events — a deliberate trade of price for share/volume that could help demand but pressures near-term margins. After Years of Increases, PepsiCo Pledges to Cut Prices on Snacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic initiatives (tests to integrate beverage/snack distribution, trimming SKUs ~20%, refocusing top brands) aim to lift margins and execution — positive long-term if executed, but results are still early. MarketBeat strategic summary
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish/critical takes argue the rally is multiple expansion rather than improving volumes — price-led growth in Q4 and the new price cuts raise execution risk and could compress margins; some analysts/voices label the setup risky for new buyers. Seeking Alpha — Strong Sell
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/structural headwinds to snack volumes (e.g., consumer affordability pressures, GLP‑1–related demand shifts cited by commentators) remain a watch item; management is banking on price cuts and product focus to recover volumes. Jim Cramer commentary

PepsiCo Trading Up 2.0%

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $166.18 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $227.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.70, a PEG ratio of 5.35 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $146.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.95. PepsiCo has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $167.94.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.96 EPS. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that permits the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio 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.