PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Jumps 2.4% Following Insider Buying Activity

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) traded up 2.4% on Friday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The company traded as high as $131.59 and last traded at $131.49. 10,654,753 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 31% from the average session volume of 8,146,000 shares. The stock had previously closed at $128.38.

Specifically, Director Robert Pohlad bought 184,646 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $128.28 per share, for a total transaction of $23,686,388.88. Following the acquisition, the director owned 433,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $55,546,394.52. This represents a 74.35% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on PepsiCo from $176.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 9th. Freedom Broker upgraded PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $132.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $145.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $161.00 to $150.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $145.50.

Trending Headlines about PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts indicate that KFC represents only a small portion of PepsiCo’s total sales, limiting the immediate earnings impact of the restaurant chain’s decision. Bank of America maintained a Hold rating but raised its price target to $145, suggesting potential upside from current levels and a balanced risk-reward profile. KFC switch to Coke puts PepsiCo’s food service ties in focus
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation said their partnership with Feed the Children has delivered 2 million meals through a school-based hunger-relief program. The announcement supports PepsiCo’s corporate-responsibility profile but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. PepsiCo and Feed the Children mark 2 million meals
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s latest reported quarter showed adjusted earnings and revenue above consensus, with revenue up year over year. However, the stock remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reflecting investor concerns about slowing growth and North American performance.
• Negative Sentiment: KFC will replace PepsiCo beverages with Coca-Cola products at its U.S. restaurants beginning in January 2027, with a full rollout expected by spring. Although the revenue loss is expected to be modest, the move is a high-profile setback for PepsiCo’s food-service relationships and gives Coca-Cola additional fountain-market visibility. PepsiCo just lost KFC to Coca-Cola
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo warned an Indian court that its Sting and Adrenaline Rush energy drinks could run out nationwide within roughly two months if a dispute over “energy drink” labeling continues. The court declined to allow new labeled inventory, while competitors such as Red Bull remain able to sell, creating a supply and market-share risk in an important growth category. PepsiCo warns India energy drinks could run out

PepsiCo Stock Up 2.4%

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $134.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $142.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $179.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.52, a P/E/G ratio of 3.85 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.29 by $0.05. PepsiCo had a net margin of 11.09% and a return on equity of 53.08%. The business had revenue of $25.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.29 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the first quarter worth $25,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Atlatl Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Company Profile

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) is a global food and beverage company that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes a broad portfolio of snacks, drinks and convenient foods. Its beverage brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, 7UP in select markets, and bubly, while its food and snack brands include Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Tostitos, Fritos, Quaker and Ruffles.

The company’s operations include beverage production and distribution, snack foods, convenient meals and nutrition-oriented products.