PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Stake Lessened by Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc.

Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc. cut its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 42.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 29,833 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,680 shares during the quarter. Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $3,780,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Collaborative Fund Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the third quarter valued at approximately $288,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 40,530 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,136,000 after acquiring an additional 659 shares in the last quarter. Bfsg LLC grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bfsg LLC now owns 11,126 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,410,000 after acquiring an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Cowa LLC increased its position in shares of PepsiCo by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 9,353 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,185,000 after purchasing an additional 2,269 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Guardian Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of PepsiCo by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 17,738 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,248,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Friday, October 9th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $145.00 to $133.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Barclays cut their price target on PepsiCo from $133.00 to $126.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $132.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $143.28.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo’s snack pricing and affordability measures are reportedly helping drive volume gains and stronger consumer demand. That could support sales, although higher costs and margin pressure remain challenges. Can PepsiCo’s Snack Pricing Strategy Drive Volume Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: An expanded Taco Bell beverage partnership preserves PepsiCo’s exclusive supplier role and adds distribution opportunities for products including Mountain Dew Baja Blast, with plans for new functional and energy drinks. What Is PepsiCo Gaining From Its Expanded Beverage Partnership?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary highlights PepsiCo’s dividend record and appeal to income-focused investors. Another comparison notes improving organic sales growth, but says the earnings recovery remains sluggish; these are opinions rather than new company guidance. Clorox vs. PepsiCo: Which Dividend Stock Could Make You Richer Over the Next 10 Years?
• Negative Sentiment: India’s food regulator accused PepsiCo and Monster of marketing products with an “energy drink” label to mislead consumers. The allegations could create reputational or regulatory risk, though the reports do not detail any financial impact. India says PepsiCo, Monster marketed with ‘energy drink’ label to dupe consumers

PepsiCo Trading Up 3.8%

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $142.42 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $194.08 billion, a PE ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.31. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.47 and a 52-week high of $171.48. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $133.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $145.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other PepsiCo news, CEO Ramon Laguarta sold 30,000 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.13, for a total value of $4,053,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 491,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $66,435,988.85. This trade represents a 5.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert Pohlad acquired 184,646 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $128.28 per share, for a total transaction of $23,686,388.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 433,009 shares in the company, valued at $55,546,394.52. The trade was a 74.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.