United Asset Strategies Inc. Grows Stake in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 22.9% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 28,856 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,373 shares during the period. United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $4,481,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Networth Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 during the period. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are buying ahead of PepsiCo’s July 9 Q2 earnings release, with hopes the company will show that its pricing reset and product simplification plan is improving sales volumes. PepsiCo Rises Ahead of Q2 Results as Investors Bet Turnaround Gains Are Holding
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators are flagging PEP as a potential value opportunity, with Jim Cramer citing market rotation as creating buying chances in quality defensive stocks like PepsiCo. PepsiCo and more: Jim Cramer says market rotation is creating buying chances, picks 4 stocks
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is also benefiting from product and brand activity, including new “dirty soda” inspired offerings and other marketing initiatives that could support growth. PepsiCo embraces dirty soda trend with Dirty Mountain Dew and Mug Root Beer Floats
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent headlines are centered on earnings-week positioning and expected stock volatility, reinforcing that upcoming results are the main near-term catalyst for PEP. Here’s How Much PepsiCo Stock Is Expected to Move After Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent coverage highlights lingering concern that PepsiCo’s turnaround may be losing momentum, and Barclays recently cut its price target, pointing to pressure from slower North American demand. PEP Stock Faces Fresh Pressure: Barclays Cuts Price Target, Warns Turnaround Is Losing Steam Ahead Of Q2 Earnings

PepsiCo Stock Up 2.6%

NASDAQ:PEP traded up $3.79 on Tuesday, hitting $147.08. 3,064,861 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,820,478. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1 year low of $132.96 and a 1 year high of $171.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The company has a market cap of $201.02 billion, a PE ratio of 23.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $146.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $151.71.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 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 quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.48 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $1.48 per share. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. This is a boost from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 92.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $142.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on PepsiCo from $178.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $173.00 to $164.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered 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, June 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $165.00.

About PepsiCo

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.