PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Trading Down 2.4%

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) dropped 2.4% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $170.14 and last traded at $172.20. Approximately 3,411,047 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 40% from the average daily volume of 5,720,075 shares. The stock had previously closed at $176.46.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Argus lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on PepsiCo from $181.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $199.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 5th. StockNews.com lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on PepsiCo from $183.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $186.92.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $168.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $167.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $237.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.72 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $27.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.40 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.03% and a net margin of 9.92%. PepsiCo’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.67 EPS. Analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st were paid a dividend of $1.265 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $5.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.93%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 77.02%.

Institutional Trading of PepsiCo

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA grew its position in PepsiCo by 80.5% during the 4th quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Life Planning Partners Inc purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc engages in the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of various beverages and convenient foods worldwide. The company operates through seven segments: Frito-Lay North America; Quaker Foods North America; PepsiCo Beverages North America; Latin America; Europe; Africa, Middle East and South Asia; and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and China Region.