PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Up 0.5% – Time to Buy?

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) rose 0.5% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $149.70 and last traded at $149.05. Approximately 1,147,998 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 6,592,226 shares. The stock had previously closed at $148.25.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on PEP. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $177.00 to $176.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 4th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $183.00 to $158.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Redburn Atlantic upgraded PepsiCo to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $193.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res raised shares of PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $178.60.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $203.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.54. The company’s fifty day moving average is $155.05 and its 200 day moving average is $165.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th were paid a $1.355 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 6th. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.65%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.94%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its position in shares of PepsiCo by 59.0% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in PepsiCo by 93.2% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.07% 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.