PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Sold by First Financial Bank Trust Division

First Financial Bank Trust Division lessened its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 8.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 74,747 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,659 shares during the period. PepsiCo comprises 1.3% of First Financial Bank Trust Division’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. First Financial Bank Trust Division’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $13,081,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 80.5% in the 4th quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Life Planning Partners Inc acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total value of $1,000,360.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,603,634. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Price Performance

PepsiCo stock opened at $166.48 on Wednesday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $155.83 and a 12-month high of $192.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $228.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.52. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $173.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.39. 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 released 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 company had revenue of $18.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.08 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 7th will be given a $1.355 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 7th. This is a boost from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 81.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on PEP. Argus cut shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $185.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.17.

PepsiCo 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.