Ashton Thomas Securities LLC Cuts Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Ashton Thomas Securities LLC reduced its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 7,856 shares of the company’s stock after selling 102 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $1,037,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of PEP. Nova Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the first quarter worth $25,000. Elite Financial Inc. bought a new position in PepsiCo in the first quarter worth about $28,000. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Investment Research & Advisory Group Inc. lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 263.6% in the second quarter. Investment Research & Advisory Group Inc. now owns 320 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the first quarter valued at $55,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Price Performance

PEP opened at $142.31 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $144.39 and a 200-day moving average of $139.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $194.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.92, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $127.60 and a 12-month high of $177.50.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.09. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.23% and a return on equity of 57.81%. The company had revenue of $22.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.28 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. PepsiCo has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.038-8.038 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 5th were issued a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 5th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.64%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $153.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on PepsiCo from $146.00 to $145.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $154.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $157.87.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc engages in the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of various beverages and convenient foods worldwide. The company operates through seven segments: Frito-Lay North America; Quaker Foods North America; PepsiCo Beverages North America; Latin America; Europe; Africa, Middle East and South Asia; and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and China Region.