QRG Capital Management Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 16.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 190,310 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 26,372 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $29,553,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PEP. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Networth Advisors LLC grew its stake in PepsiCo by 2,857.1% during the 1st quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 207 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in PepsiCo by 99.1% during the 1st quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PepsiCo stock opened at $144.22 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $197.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.36. 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 firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $146.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $151.76. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $132.96 and a 1-year high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 56.61% and a net margin of 9.15%.The company’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.48 EPS. On average, analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.62 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th were paid a $1.48 dividend. This is a positive change from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 92.94%.

More PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS said defensive dividend names like PepsiCo could be ready for a comeback as investors look beyond the tech-led rally, which may help support demand for the stock. Article
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo continues to be viewed as a high-quality dividend stock, with recent commentary highlighting it as an attractive dividend aristocrat and a stable defensive holding. Article
• Positive Sentiment: The company also announced a management promotion in Eastern Europe, which signals continued operational execution and regional leadership continuity. Article

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on PEP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on PepsiCo from $173.00 to $168.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Wall Street Zen cut PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on PepsiCo from $182.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Bank of America dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $173.00 to $164.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on PepsiCo from $178.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $165.00.

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.