25,294 Shares in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Bought by Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA

Key Points

• Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA opened a new position in PepsiCo, buying 25,294 shares in the third quarter, valued at about $3.55 million.
• PepsiCo's board authorized a $10.0 billion share buyback (up to roughly 4.7% of shares) and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.4225 per share (annualized $5.69, ~3.5% yield; ex-dividend March 6).
• PepsiCo slightly beat expectations for the quarter with $2.26 EPS vs. $2.24 est. and reported revenue of $29.34 billion, up about 5.6% year‑over‑year.

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 25,294 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,552,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of PEP. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the second quarter worth about $27,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 107.1% during the 2nd 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 during the period. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 667.7% in the 3rd 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 last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the third quarter worth $37,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Trading Down 0.5%

PEP stock opened at $160.78 on Wednesday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52-week low of $127.60 and a 52-week high of $171.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The firm has a market cap of $219.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.80, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.39. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $155.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.45.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.PepsiCo's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio is presently 94.83%.

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

Key Stories Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Short sellers trimmed positions sharply in February—short interest fell ~29.7% to ~20.84M shares, leaving only ~1.5% of float short and a short‑interest ratio near 3.1 days; reduced short pressure can limit downside volatility.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed an EPS beat ($2.26 vs $2.24 est.) and revenue above expectations with revenue up ~5.6% year‑over‑year, supporting the company’s 2026 turnaround messaging.
• Positive Sentiment: New product and brand moves continue: PepsiCo launched protein Doritos, expanding into higher‑margin/health‑adjacent snack formats. PepsiCo launches protein Doritos
• Positive Sentiment: Brand extension: PepsiCo opened a Lay’s‑branded restaurant concept in Madrid, a retail/marketing play that can boost brand engagement and provide new direct‑to‑consumer learnings. PepsiCo opens first Lay’s-branded restaurant in Spain
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ fair‑value models moved only slightly (e.g., to ~$170.81), reflecting a mix of confidence in the turnaround but caution—small changes, not a broad re‑rating. How PepsiCo (PEP) Narrative Is Evolving Around 2026 Turnaround Goals And Fair Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term category trends (healthy/plant‑based foods, oats growth) support product innovation opportunities for PepsiCo but represent multi‑year upside rather than immediate earnings drivers. United States Healthy Foods Analysis Report 2025: A $400+ Billion Market by 2033, Driven by Plant-Based Nutrition, Functional Foods and Rapid Growth of Online Health Food Retail
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend safety comparisons with Coca‑Cola are being re‑examined by outlets, keeping investors focused on balance‑sheet and cash‑flow metrics rather than changing the near‑term trade. Coke vs Pepsi: Which Dividend Is Actually Safer?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: Coca‑Cola has posted a strong run (KO up sharply over the past month), which can shift sector flows and investor preference away from PepsiCo in the near term. Coca-Cola Stock Rises 12.5% in a Month: Buy the Rally or Wait?
• Negative Sentiment: Activist attention on slower‑growing packaged‑food names remains a risk for the sector (calls for cost cuts, portfolio changes) and could increase pressure on PepsiCo’s stock if investor activism intensifies. Activist Investors Target Food Companies as Growth Slows. Lamb Weston Is the Latest.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. HSBC lifted their price objective on PepsiCo from $152.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on PepsiCo from $163.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $168.50.

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.

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