PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Price Target Cut to $142.00 by Analysts at Citigroup

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) had its price target lowered by stock analysts at Citigroup from $145.00 to $142.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 9.08% from the stock’s current price.

PEP has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 10th. Piper Sandler set a $176.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America lowered their target price on PepsiCo from $173.00 to $164.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $156.65.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $130.18 on Thursday. PepsiCo has a 12-month low of $127.98 and a 12-month high of $171.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $138.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $177.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.35.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The company reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.01. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.78% and a return on equity of 54.63%. The firm had revenue of $24.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.92 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that PepsiCo will post 8.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at PepsiCo

In related news, EVP David Flavell sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.54, for a total value of $404,666.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 74,825 shares in the company, valued at $10,441,080.50. This represents a 3.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC now owns 2,673 shares of the company’s stock valued at $415,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.3% in the 1st 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. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. now owns 1,938 shares of the company’s stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Partners Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Partners Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,998 shares of the company’s stock valued at $310,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pittenger & Anderson Inc. increased its stake in PepsiCo by 0.3% during the first quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 24,895 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,866,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually strong options activity provided a bullish trading signal: investors purchased 48,807 call options, approximately 62% above the average volume. This may indicate expectations for a rebound, although options activity is speculative rather than a fundamental catalyst.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators highlighted PepsiCo’s valuation and dividend appeal after the stock’s decline from its 52-week high. The company’s established brands, defensive consumer-staples profile and expected fiscal 2026 EPS of about $8.57 could support upside if sentiment improves. Prediction: This Out-of-Favor Dividend Stock Could Have Significant Upside
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is expanding zero-sugar beverages through product innovation, pricing and broad distribution, a strategy that could address changing consumer preferences and create a new avenue for growth. Can Zero Sugar Drinks Fuel PepsiCo’s Next Growth Phase?
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo reaffirmed its commitment to investment, local talent and partnerships in Saudi Arabia, supporting its long-term international presence and regional relationships. PepsiCo Reaffirms Saudi Arabia Commitment
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo’s former chief financial officer, Jamie Caulfield, was elected to Kontoor Brands’ board. The appointment has no direct operational or financial impact on PepsiCo. Kontoor Brands Elects New Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo is exploring paper-based drink packaging, which could strengthen sustainability credentials but may also involve higher costs and execution risks. Paper Drink Bottles
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo is reportedly discontinuing ProNutro in South Africa after 64 years, a brand reduction that could weigh on local sales and reinforces concerns about portfolio rationalization. PepsiCo Discontinues ProNutro
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of manufacturing layoffs involving PepsiCo add to concerns about restructuring, weaker demand or efforts to reduce costs. While potentially beneficial to margins over time, layoffs can signal near-term operating pressure. Factory Fallout and Manufacturing Layoffs

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) is a global food and beverage company headquartered in Purchase, New York. Its portfolio includes carbonated soft drinks, sports drinks, bottled water, juices, ready-to-drink beverages, snack foods and convenient foods. Major brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker and SodaStream.

The company sells products through a broad range of channels, including grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, food-service providers, vending operations and e-commerce platforms.