PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) PT Raised to $181.00

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) had its price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $178.00 to $181.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wedbush reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Monday, February 12th. Argus downgraded PepsiCo from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Morgan Stanley upgraded PepsiCo from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $190.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $181.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $187.33.

PepsiCo Trading Up 3.6 %

Shares of PepsiCo stock opened at $177.41 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $169.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $167.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $243.85 billion, a PE ratio of 26.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.53. PepsiCo has a 52-week low of $155.83 and a 52-week high of $196.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.68.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.09. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.00% and a return on equity of 57.37%. The firm had revenue of $18.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that PepsiCo will post 8.15 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st were issued a $1.265 dividend. This represents a $5.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA boosted its stake in PepsiCo by 80.5% in the fourth quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC raised its position in PepsiCo by 100.0% in the 4th 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 period. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the first quarter valued at about $35,000. Life Planning Partners Inc bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Naples Money Management LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Company Profile

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.