Stephens Consulting LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Stephens Consulting LLC lessened its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 8.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,290 shares of the company’s stock after selling 302 shares during the quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $576,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Fortis Group Advisors LLC grew its stake in PepsiCo by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Life Planning Partners Inc bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the first quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Naples Money Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Price Performance

NASDAQ PEP opened at $164.93 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $226.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.86. The business’s fifty day moving average is $173.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.30. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1 year low of $155.83 and a 1 year high of $192.38.

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

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Argus lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on PepsiCo from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on PepsiCo from $181.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised shares of PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, March 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $186.38.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,603,634. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

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.