Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. Lowers Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. cut its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 19.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 38,576 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,224 shares during the quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $5,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Price Performance

PEP opened at $144.27 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $127.60 and a 12-month high of $171.48. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $151.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $152.37. The company has a market capitalization of $197.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.65, a PEG ratio of 2.61 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.06. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 56.61% and a net margin of 9.15%.The company had revenue of $19.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.48 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a $1.48 dividend. This is a boost from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 92.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on PepsiCo from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on PepsiCo from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on PepsiCo from $181.00 to $178.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on PepsiCo from $169.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $167.35.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo continues to expand its autonomous freight network with Gatik, a move that could improve logistics efficiency and help address staffing challenges in hard-to-serve routes. How PepsiCo’s Driverless Freight Rollout With Gatik (PEP) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: The company also highlighted sustainability-focused farmer financing through Compeer Financial, which supports PepsiCo’s supply chain and long-term agricultural sourcing strategy. Compeer Financial Collaborates with PepsiCo to Provide Strip-Till Equipment Financing
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo was included in a Q1 review of beverage, alcohol, and tobacco stocks, but the article was primarily a peer comparison and did not indicate a major new catalyst. Beverages, Alcohol, and Tobacco Stocks Q1 In Review: PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Vs Peers
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate changes were modest, with Erste Group trimming FY2027 EPS slightly to $9.14 from $9.15, suggesting limited impact on the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target on PepsiCo to $150 from $165 and kept a hold rating, signaling more cautious near-term sentiment on the stock. TD Cowen adjusts PepsiCo price target to 150 from 165
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler also lowered its price target on PepsiCo to $178 from $181, reinforcing the view that analysts see only limited upside from here. Piper Sandler adjusts price target on PepsiCo to 178 from 181

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.