Plato Investment Management Ltd Raises Stake in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 17.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,689 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,814 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo accounts for about 0.6% of Plato Investment Management Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Plato Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $8,458,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position in PepsiCo by 107.1% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 234 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in PepsiCo by 667.7% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in PepsiCo by 85.3% in the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 265 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on PEP shares. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Wednesday. HSBC lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $152.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Evercore ISI raised their target price on PepsiCo from $152.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $167.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $167.16.

PepsiCo Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of PepsiCo stock opened at $170.49 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a twelve month low of $127.60 and a twelve month high of $170.75. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $147.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $146.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $233.00 billion, a PE ratio of 28.42, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.40.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.The business’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is 94.83%.

Trending Headlines about PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations (EPS $2.26 vs. $2.24; revenue roughly $29.3B) and management reiterated FY2026 guidance while reporting margin improvement — a core driver for today’s buying. Pepsi Pops as Investors Take Notice of Key Strategic Initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a $10 billion share repurchase program, supporting EPS and signaling capital-return priority. PepsiCo to Repurchase $10.00 billion in Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages lifted price targets after the strong quarter (UBS to $190, Morgan Stanley $180, JPMorgan $176, HSBC $175), which helps sustain buying interest. UBS Lifts PepsiCo Target JPMorgan Raises Target HSBC Adjusts Target
• Positive Sentiment: Management is cutting prices (up to ~15% on some snacks) and pivoting to “snack affordability” ahead of heavy seasonal demand (Super Bowl), which should boost volumes and retail sales. Guacamole & chip prices and PepsiCo price moves
• Positive Sentiment: Productivity and distribution integration (testing combined beverage/snack logistics) are cited as margin levers — management reported early positive results and operating-margin expansion. Productivity Strategy Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Pepsi is publicly adapting product mixes for health-conscious consumers (functional foods) and watching trends like GLP-1 drug use — outcomes are uncertain but the company is actively responding. How PepsiCo is adapting to GLP-1 use
• Neutral Sentiment: Activist investor interest (Elliott) remains a background catalyst; Pepsi is implementing changes but has said full refranchising isn’t being pursued — keeps outcomes dependent on execution. Elliott stake & catalyst analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Snack price cuts — and earlier consumer backlash over pricing — could pressure near-term gross margins until volume gains offset the lower pricing. PepsiCo to cut some US snack prices

PepsiCo Profile

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.