Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Acquires 22,335 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 55.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 62,494 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 22,335 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $8,777,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in PEP. Norges Bank purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the second quarter valued at $2,330,594,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of PepsiCo by 14,420.2% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,890,688 shares of the company’s stock worth $513,726,000 after purchasing an additional 3,863,893 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in PepsiCo by 9.7% in 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 in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in PepsiCo by 19.5% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,577,073 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,056,797,000 after purchasing an additional 2,541,455 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in PepsiCo by 112.6% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 4,040,079 shares of the company’s stock valued at $533,452,000 after purchasing an additional 2,139,847 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

More PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and solid top-line — PepsiCo reported EPS and revenue above expectations, with beverage strength internationally and resilient low‑sugar U.S. drink sales; management reiterated its FY2026 outlook. This supports the bullish view that the turnaround is gaining traction. PepsiCo tops quarterly revenue estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns boosted — PepsiCo raised its dividend and announced a sizable share‑buyback program (up to $10B), which is supportive for the stock’s valuation and income-oriented investors. PepsiCo reports strong Q4 revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment shifting — some investors/analysts are upgrading the stock after the results and improved outlook, describing a better risk–return profile. That can lend follow‑through buying. Seeking Alpha: Why upgrading the stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed headlines and commentary — opinion pieces comparing PEP to Coca‑Cola and CEO comments on demographic trends (Hispanic consumers) add context but are less likely to move the price immediately versus hard financials. Why I Choose Coca‑Cola over PepsiCo
• Negative Sentiment: Price cuts on key snacks could pressure margins — management announced U.S. suggested retail price cuts up to ~15% on marquee snack brands to address affordability ahead of Super Bowl week. While aimed at driving volumes, investors fear margin erosion and signaling of weaker underlying demand. After Years of Increases, PepsiCo Pledges to Cut Prices on Snacks
• Negative Sentiment: Longer‑term demand worries for snacks — commentary (including from market voices) highlights headwinds to Frito‑Lay volumes (GLP‑1 impacts, affordability), which could keep investors cautious even after the beat. Jim Cramer on PepsiCo’s recent rally

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on PEP. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Exane BNP Paribas raised PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on PepsiCo from $150.00 to $152.00 in a report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Barclays set a $148.00 price objective on PepsiCo in a report on Friday, January 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $159.29.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP opened at $162.85 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $222.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.96, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.72. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $127.60 and a one year high of $163.44. The business has a fifty day moving average of $146.47 and a 200 day moving average of $145.81.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.58% and a net margin of 7.82%.PepsiCo’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.96 earnings per share. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 3rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 108.17%.

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.