Welch & Forbes LLC Sells 11,653 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Welch & Forbes LLC decreased its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 2.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 429,173 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,653 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $61,595,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of PEP. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo continues to appeal to income investors after raising its quarterly dividend by 4% to $1.48 per share, reinforcing its reputation as a reliable dividend payer. Here is Why PepsiCo (PEP) is Among the Best Dividend-Paying Beverage Stocks to Buy Now
• Positive Sentiment: New sustainability and agricultural partnerships, including work with EIT Food and Fertiberia, support PepsiCo’s long-term supply chain resilience and lower-carbon goals. PepsiCo Foundation and EIT Food back young European farmers with new programme
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also being highlighted for brand and product strategy, including packaging and smaller-portion changes aimed at matching shifting consumer preferences and competing more effectively with rivals like Coca-Cola. Pepsi makes big change to counter Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles frame PepsiCo as a strong brand and sponsorship player in global beverage markets, which is supportive of the long-term story but not a direct catalyst for the stock right now. APAC Non-Alcoholic Beverages Industry Sport Sponsorship Analysis Report 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of PepsiCo’s marketing leadership and “people and planet” branding reinforces the company’s positioning, but it appears more like thought leadership than a near-term earnings driver. How PepsiCo’s CMO Is Building Brands That Perform For People And Planet
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has been sliding alongside a stronger market, suggesting investors remain cautious despite PepsiCo’s defensive profile and dividend support. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. HSBC lifted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $175.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Argus raised shares of PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $154.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $191.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.11.

PepsiCo Trading Down 1.4%

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $144.19 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $127.60 and a one year high of $171.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $153.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $152.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $197.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.64, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.38.

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

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. This is a boost from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 89.32%.

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

PepsiCo Company 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.