PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $169.00.

Several brokerages have weighed in on PEP. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays upped their target price on PepsiCo from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen raised PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th.

Trending Headlines about PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Leadership highlights strong cost-management tools — PepsiCo says it sources roughly 95% of ingredients locally in APAC, uses hedging and is applying AI to improve planning and cut cost pressures; this reduces input‑cost and geopolitical risk. PepsiCo Leans on Local Sourcing and AI to Navigate Cost Pressures (Yahoo)
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/brand engagement push — PepsiCo launched a global “Pepsi Football Nation” platform to boost fan engagement and global brand presence, which can support revenue and marketing ROI around major sports events. PepsiCo launches global ‘Pepsi Football Nation’ platform (BestMediaInfo)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/strategy bull case — coverage arguing PepsiCo is a top long‑term growth stock highlights durable brands, pricing power and diversification as reasons to own the name for steady growth and dividends. Why PepsiCo (PEP) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings preview — analysts’ preview pieces outline expectations ahead of the next quarterly report; watch EPS, organic revenue trends and margins (pricing vs. volume) for a potential catalyst. PepsiCo Earnings Preview: What to Expect (Barchart)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investment-story evolution — coverage notes management is shifting the story around pricing and 2026 growth hopes; investors should monitor margin trajectory and guidance for clarity. How The PepsiCo (PEP) Investment Story Is Shifting On Pricing And 2026 Growth Hopes (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets flag fundamentals questions — a roundup that highlights “profitable stocks with questionable fundamentals” includes PepsiCo in a broader critique, which can weigh on sentiment among value or fundamentals‑focused investors. 3 Profitable Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend-aristocrat commentary and “beaten-down” lists — PEP’s inclusion in pieces about dividend aristocrats or beaten-down names can attract bargain hunters but also signals recent share weakness and elevated short‑term volatility. PepsiCo Leans on Local Sourcing and AI to Navigate Cost Pressures (InsiderMonkey)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth about $240,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at about $632,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,644,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 735,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $105,640,000 after purchasing an additional 22,497 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 14.0% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 55,460 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,960,000 after purchasing an additional 6,830 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $150.83 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $158.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $149.98. The stock has a market cap of $206.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.14, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. PepsiCo has a 12 month low of $127.60 and a 12 month high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. 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 firm had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

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

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 94.83%.

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.