PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Has Average Target Price of $143.28 According to Brokerages

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fourteen have given a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $143.28.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on PEP shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on PepsiCo from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $145.00 to $133.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. Weiss Ratings downgraded PepsiCo from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, September 24th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $161.00 to $157.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Freedom Broker upgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 10th.

PepsiCo Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $141.88 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $193.35 billion, a PE ratio of 17.82, a P/E/G ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.31. PepsiCo has a 1 year low of $123.47 and a 1 year high of $171.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $133.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $145.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.05. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 53.08% and a net margin of 11.09%. The company had revenue of $25.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.95 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.29 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that PepsiCo will post 8.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Ramon Laguarta sold 30,000 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.13, for a total transaction of $4,053,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 491,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $66,435,988.85. This trade represents a 5.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert C. Pohlad purchased 184,646 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $128.28 per share, for a total transaction of $23,686,388.88. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 433,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $55,546,394.52. This trade represents a 74.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of PepsiCo

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the second quarter worth $2,755,509,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,200,274,000. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter valued at $297,116,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth about $487,558,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 952.6% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,715,812 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,121,000 after acquiring an additional 3,362,794 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

More PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Consumer stocks, including the consumer-staples sector, were higher late Monday, providing a supportive backdrop for PEP. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is emphasizing zero-sugar drinks, flavored sodas and functional hydration to respond to changing preferences and pursue beverage growth. The strategy is supported by reported traction in zero-sugar offerings, though broader demand remains a question. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo renewed beverage-supply agreements with KFC in eight international markets, retaining an important customer channel outside the U.S. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company is expanding holiday retail and marketing efforts, including campaigns tied to football. This could support brand visibility, but the article gives no sales impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo plans to cut about 1,000 North American jobs as part of a turnaround and effort to streamline operations. Potential cost savings may help, but the cuts also underscore struggles in a key business region. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Poppi’s founders launched Jetty, a hydration brand entering a category that includes PepsiCo’s Gatorade. The new competitor may add pressure in functional beverages, although its near-term effect on PepsiCo is uncertain. Read More.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc is a global food and beverage company that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of products. Its portfolio includes snacks such as Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, as well as beverages including Pepsi, Gatorade and Mountain Dew.

The company was formed in 1965 through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay. Its products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories through retail, food-service and other distribution channels.

PepsiCo is headquartered in Purchase, New York.