PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Stock: Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. Cuts Position

Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. lowered its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 16.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 23,900 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,835 shares during the quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $3,029,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 3.3% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,040 shares of the company’s stock worth $317,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 0.3% in the first quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 24,895 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,866,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 4.1% in the second quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 1,918 shares of the company’s stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 2.0% in the second quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 3,848 shares of the company’s stock worth $521,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 55 North Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 4.2% in the second quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,918 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $159.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $132.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $176.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $143.28.

PepsiCo Price Performance

PEP stock opened at $142.71 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $133.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $145.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. The stock has a market cap of $194.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.93, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.31. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $123.47 and a fifty-two week high of $171.48.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Key PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo’s shares had gained 15.1% over the past month. Strong international growth, a discounted valuation and productivity savings are supporting the investment case. Article: PepsiCo Jumps 15.1% in a Month as Investors Weigh What Comes Next
• Positive Sentiment: Snack affordability and pricing initiatives are reportedly helping lift volumes and consumer demand, offering a potential counterweight to cost and margin pressures. Article: Can PepsiCo’s Snack Pricing Strategy Drive Volume Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo India is partnering with GIZ and Bayer on climate-resilient maize farming. The initiative may support supply-chain resilience over time, though near-term financial impact is unclear. Article: GIZ, PepsiCo India, Bayer partner to advance climate-resilient maize farming
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are debating whether PEP’s valuation discount and international growth compensate for slower earnings growth and debt. This tug-of-war may limit the impact of the recent rally. Article: Is PepsiCo a Buy or a Wait as Value Clashes With Slower EPS Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo lowered its 2026 EPS growth outlook as North American margin pressures persist. This is the clearest near-term headwind, despite international growth and productivity savings. Article: PepsiCo Lowers 2026 EPS Outlook as North America Pressures Margins
• Negative Sentiment: India’s food regulator alleges PepsiCo and Monster’s “energy drink” labeling misled consumers; a court hearing could bring regulatory or reputational risk. Article: India says PepsiCo, Monster marketed with ‘energy drink’ label to dupe consumers

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) is a global food and beverage company whose portfolio includes Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker, Tostitos, Fritos, and SodaStream. Its products span carbonated soft drinks, sports and energy beverages, bottled water, juices, convenient foods, snacks, and other packaged food offerings.

The company sells products through retail stores, restaurants, food-service providers, e-commerce platforms, and other distribution channels. PepsiCo serves consumers in North America and international markets across Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.