Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. Takes Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 315,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $47,899,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilkins Miller Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth approximately $229,000. Hall Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,909,000. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 109,915 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,714,000 after purchasing an additional 4,428 shares during the last quarter. Cypress Asset Management Inc. TX acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,609,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $643,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company's stock.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PEP traded down $0.70 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $130.67. 8,065,460 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,509,889. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $127.75 and a fifty-two week high of $180.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $138.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $147.83. The company has a market capitalization of $179.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.80, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.47.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.01). PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The business had revenue of $17.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 6th will be paid a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 6th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.35%. This is an increase from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. PepsiCo's payout ratio is currently 83.68%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $168.00 to $153.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. HSBC lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Barclays lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $143.00 to $135.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on PepsiCo from $158.00 to $159.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded PepsiCo from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $171.00 to $170.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $160.69.

PepsiCo 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.