Costello Asset Management INC Lowers Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Costello Asset Management INC cut its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 27.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 18,148 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,033 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo makes up about 0.9% of Costello Asset Management INC’s holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Costello Asset Management INC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,549,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $166.47 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $147.99 and a 200 day moving average of $146.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The stock has a market cap of $227.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.75, a P/E/G ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.40. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12 month low of $127.60 and a 12 month high of $170.75.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.77% and a return on equity of 57.92%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 94.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $156.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on PepsiCo from $154.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Loop Capital set a $164.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $167.16.

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.