Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 0.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 17,587 shares of the company’s stock after selling 140 shares during the period. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $3,078,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 80.5% during 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 boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Life Planning Partners Inc purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP traded up $1.80 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $169.08. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 812,722 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,487,601. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.86. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $155.83 and a 1-year high of $192.38. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $173.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $170.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $232.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.52.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. PepsiCo’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 7th will be issued a $1.355 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 7th. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.21%. This is a positive change from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 81.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on PEP shares. 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 report on Wednesday, April 24th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $185.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Argus cut shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of 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, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $186.15.

Insider Activity at PepsiCo

In related news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,603,634. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About PepsiCo

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.