PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Position Lifted by 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC

3Chopt Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 18.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,169 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,235 shares during the quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,124,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company's stock.

PepsiCo Stock Up 2.4%

NASDAQ PEP traded up $3.22 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $135.26. The company had a trading volume of 12,428,998 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,011,211. The firm's 50 day moving average is $131.64 and its 200 day moving average is $142.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.13, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.65. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $127.60 and a fifty-two week high of $180.91. The company has a market capitalization of $185.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.45.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.49 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $17.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.81 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 58.28%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 6th were issued a $1.4225 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 6th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.21%. This is a positive change from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. PepsiCo's payout ratio is currently 83.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on PEP shares. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Dbs Bank lowered PepsiCo from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on PepsiCo from $168.00 to $153.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Bank of America decreased their price target on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $143.00 to $135.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $159.75.

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.