Norwood Financial Corp Grows Stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Norwood Financial Corp raised its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 9.9% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,225 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Norwood Financial Corp’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $389,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.8 %

NASDAQ PEP opened at $164.93 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $173.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $170.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $155.83 and a 52 week high of $192.38. The company has a market capitalization of $226.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.52.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $18.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.08 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.37% and a net margin of 10.00%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 7th were paid a dividend of $1.355 per share. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 7th. This is an increase from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 81.50%.

Insider Activity at PepsiCo

In related news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total transaction of $1,000,360.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,603,634. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.15% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $185.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Morgan Stanley raised PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 18th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on PepsiCo in a research report on Monday, June 24th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 target price on the stock. Argus cut PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $186.38.

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.