Advisortrust Partners LLC Invests $2.95 Million in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Advisortrust Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 20,536 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,947,000. PepsiCo accounts for about 1.3% of Advisortrust Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 14,857.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 49,252,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,068,777,000 after purchasing an additional 48,923,629 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,018,813,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted 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 valued at $830,902,000 after purchasing an additional 3,235,726 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 30.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 8,641,588 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,207,230,000 after purchasing an additional 1,995,362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in PepsiCo by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 138,483,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,875,205,000 after purchasing an additional 1,612,652 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on PEP. BNP Paribas Exane raised their price target on PepsiCo from $191.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $173.00 to $168.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $167.10.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo’s management is being spotlighted for using AI and digital tools to improve operations, strengthen food-system resilience, and support a broader global transformation strategy, which could bolster long-term efficiency and growth. Building a Lighthouse Company: Athina Kanioura on Leading PepsiCo’s Global Transformation
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is also being discussed as a beneficiary of AI adoption across food and beverage companies, which may support productivity and growth initiatives over time. PepsiCo, Danone & Nestlé: how AI is powering F&B growth
• Positive Sentiment: A new Doritos Loaded commercial featuring Gordon Ramsay and Formula 1 driver George Russell underscores PepsiCo’s willingness to spend on high-profile marketing to support snack brand visibility and demand. PepsiCo: Doritos Loaded Unveils High-Octane Commercial Starring Chef Gordon Ramsay And Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Driver George Russell
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent commentary pieces focus on PepsiCo’s valuation and dividend appeal, with one suggesting the shares may trade below fair value while another argues for caution and calls the stock a possible sell, leaving investor sentiment mixed. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Could Be 46.9% Below Fair Value as Views Split
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo remains a frequent feature in dividend-investing discussions, reinforcing its reputation as a defensive income stock rather than signaling a new catalyst. PepsiCo: Scoop Up This Dividend Growth Legend Now
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish market commentary argues PepsiCo has lagged the broader market since late 2025, which may weigh on sentiment if investors continue to favor faster-growing alternatives. 3 Reasons to Sell PEP and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $142.02 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $149.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $152.24. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $127.60 and a 12-month high of $171.48. The firm has a market cap of $194.11 billion, a PE ratio of 22.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 56.61%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.48 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be paid a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. This is a positive change from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 92.94%.

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.