Board of the Pension Protection Fund Boosts Stock Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Board of the Pension Protection Fund boosted its position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 133.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,400 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 800 shares during the quarter. Board of the Pension Protection Fund’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $210,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $131.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $179.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.27, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.45. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $131.83 and its 200 day moving average is $143.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.13. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $127.60 and a 1-year high of $180.91.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $17.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.81 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 58.28%. PepsiCo’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 6th. This is a boost from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.34%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 83.68%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on PEP shares. UBS Group reduced their price target on PepsiCo from $175.00 to $169.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Barclays decreased their price target on PepsiCo from $143.00 to $135.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $171.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $148.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $159.75.

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.