Econ Financial Services Corp Invests $2.33 Million in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Econ Financial Services Corp purchased a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 16,244 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,331,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 554,798 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,916,000 after purchasing an additional 19,218 shares during the period. Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth $872,000. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. grew its position in shares of PepsiCo by 622.3% during the 4th quarter. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. now owns 35,603 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,110,000 after buying an additional 30,674 shares in the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 122.6% during the third quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 20,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,860,000 after buying an additional 11,217 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 11.7% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 12,659,046 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,671,500,000 after acquiring an additional 1,330,888 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank kept a Buy rating on PEP and set a $169 target (down from $176), implying near-term upside and providing analyst support for the stock. PepsiCo Could Climb 10% to $169 as Deutsche Bank Rates the Stock a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary is highlighting PepsiCo as a defensive “shield” during volatility — media pieces (Yahoo, Zacks) cite its stable snack/beverage portfolio and outperformance vs. the S&P YTD, which can support investor demand. Seeking Shields from Volatility? 2 Stocks Worth a Look
• Neutral Sentiment: McCormick’s deal for Unilever’s foods business is a notable industry consolidation that could shift competitive dynamics in packaged foods; the move is industry‑level news rather than a company‑specific catalyst for PepsiCo, but it’s worth monitoring for pricing/market-share effects. McCormick and Unilever’s foods business just announced a spicy merger
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo is set to play a visible role at Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit, which may enhance ESG credibility and investor perception over time but is unlikely to move near‑term fundamentals materially. PepsiCo’s Sustainability Role At 2026 Summit And What It Means For Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media comparisons to Coca‑Cola frame PepsiCo as a dividend/stability play (snacks + international exposure vs. KO’s beverage margins). Useful context for income investors but not a fresh catalyst. PepsiCo vs Coca-Cola: The Better Dividend Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Smaller industry comparisons and company head‑to‑head pieces (e.g., vs. National Beverage) appear but are low impact for PEP’s near‑term price action. Head to Head Review: National Beverage vs. PepsiCo

PepsiCo Stock Down 1.0%

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $155.29 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $159.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $150.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.85. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $127.60 and a fifty-two week high of $171.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $212.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.88, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.39.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.77% and a return on equity of 57.92%. PepsiCo’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. 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 allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on PEP shares. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $154.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $176.00 to $169.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $169.00.

PepsiCo 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.