ProShare Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

ProShare Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 11.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,869,058 shares of the company’s stock after selling 358,753 shares during the period. PepsiCo makes up approximately 0.8% of ProShare Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $402,931,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 107.1% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 234 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its position in PepsiCo by 667.7% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 85.3% in the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 265 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of PEP stock opened at $170.49 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $147.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $146.31. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $127.60 and a 1-year high of $170.75. The company has a market cap of $233.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.42, a PEG ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

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

PepsiCo announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that permits the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 94.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Friday, January 9th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on PepsiCo from $164.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $167.16.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations (EPS $2.26 vs. $2.24; revenue roughly $29.3B) and management reiterated FY2026 guidance while reporting margin improvement — a core driver for today’s buying. Pepsi Pops as Investors Take Notice of Key Strategic Initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a $10 billion share repurchase program, supporting EPS and signaling capital-return priority. PepsiCo to Repurchase $10.00 billion in Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages lifted price targets after the strong quarter (UBS to $190, Morgan Stanley $180, JPMorgan $176, HSBC $175), which helps sustain buying interest. UBS Lifts PepsiCo Target JPMorgan Raises Target HSBC Adjusts Target
• Positive Sentiment: Management is cutting prices (up to ~15% on some snacks) and pivoting to “snack affordability” ahead of heavy seasonal demand (Super Bowl), which should boost volumes and retail sales. Guacamole & chip prices and PepsiCo price moves
• Positive Sentiment: Productivity and distribution integration (testing combined beverage/snack logistics) are cited as margin levers — management reported early positive results and operating-margin expansion. Productivity Strategy Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Pepsi is publicly adapting product mixes for health-conscious consumers (functional foods) and watching trends like GLP-1 drug use — outcomes are uncertain but the company is actively responding. How PepsiCo is adapting to GLP-1 use
• Neutral Sentiment: Activist investor interest (Elliott) remains a background catalyst; Pepsi is implementing changes but has said full refranchising isn’t being pursued — keeps outcomes dependent on execution. Elliott stake & catalyst analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Snack price cuts — and earlier consumer backlash over pricing — could pressure near-term gross margins until volume gains offset the lower pricing. PepsiCo to cut some US snack prices

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.