Brokerages Set PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Price Target at $168.00

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have assigned a hold recommendation and eight have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $168.50.

PEP has been the subject of several research reports. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on PepsiCo from $161.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on PepsiCo from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $163.92 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $224.02 billion, a PE ratio of 27.32, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $154.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $149.17. PepsiCo has a twelve month low of $127.60 and a twelve month high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.PepsiCo’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that PepsiCo will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 94.83%.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Gatorade launched “Gatorade Lower Sugar” nationwide — a science-backed formula with no artificial flavors/sweeteners/colors and ~75% less sugar than Gatorade Thirst Quencher. This product targets health-conscious consumers and could defend market share in sports/hydration categories while aligning with ongoing sugar-reduction trends. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo introduced protein?packed Doritos — a product innovation in snacks that targets consumers seeking higher-protein options. New innovation can support category growth and potentially improve mix and margins if adoption is strong. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: RBC set a new $165 price target for PEP, which provides a near-term valuation anchor and may help sentiment among some institutional investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Income/defensive appeal: PEP was featured as a top Dividend Aristocrat pick for 2026, reinforcing demand from income-focused and risk-averse investors amid volatility. That recognition can support share stability over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Positive equity research coverage: A Zacks piece highlighted PepsiCo as a strong growth stock based on style scores, which could attract growth-oriented retail investors. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Internal promotion: PepsiCo elevated Rajat Paul to marketing manager for global canisters & imports. Operationally relevant but unlikely to move the stock materially in the short term. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry risk discussion: A MarketBeat piece on J.M. Smucker referenced the broader sector concern that GLP?1 weight?loss drugs could pressure indulgent snack demand. PepsiCo management has said the impact isn’t yet quantifiable — this is a watchlist item rather than a confirmed headwind. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor alert / legal investigation: Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law issued an investor alert investigating PepsiCo’s directors and officers for alleged breach of fiduciary duties. Such probes can trigger governance scrutiny, potential litigation costs, and short-term selling pressure as investors de?risk. This appears to be the primary immediate negative catalyst behind today’s downward move. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PepsiCo

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 138,483,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,875,205,000 after buying an additional 1,612,652 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in PepsiCo by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,499,819 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,356,155,000 after acquiring an additional 1,079,970 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 33,617,937 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,814,835,000 after purchasing an additional 360,936 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 29,031,404 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,833,406,000 after purchasing an additional 2,556,163 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,018,813,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ: PEP) is a multinational food and beverage company headquartered in Purchase, New York. The company develops, manufactures, markets and sells a broad portfolio of branded food and beverage products, including carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, salty snacks, cereals, and other convenient foods. Its leading consumer brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, Quaker, Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, among others.

Formed through the 1965 merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay, PepsiCo has grown into a global business with integrated manufacturing, distribution and marketing operations.