PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Stock Position Decreased by WealthPlan Investment Management LLC

WealthPlan Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 46.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 45,373 shares of the company’s stock after selling 39,626 shares during the quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $6,512,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. JCIC Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $149.12 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.90. The company has a market cap of $203.81 billion, a PE ratio of 23.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.38. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $171.48. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $155.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $152.42.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.44 billion during 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.48 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be given a $1.48 dividend. This is a boost from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 89.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on PEP shares. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $163.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $154.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Evercore increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $170.00 in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.37.

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.