Avion Wealth Boosts Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Avion Wealth raised its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 81.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 580 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the period. Avion Wealth’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $88,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 93.2% in the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $145.64 on Wednesday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $141.51 and a 12-month high of $183.41. The company has a market cap of $199.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $151.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $163.87.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The firm had revenue of $27.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.78 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.355 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is presently 77.99%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on PEP shares. BNP Paribas lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $162.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $184.00 to $178.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on PepsiCo in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. They issued a $172.00 target price on the stock. CICC Research reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $171.47.

About PepsiCo

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.