Covington Investment Advisors Inc. Buys Shares of 21,207 PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Covington Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 21,207 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,871,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in PepsiCo by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 118,281,854 shares of the company's stock worth $16,015,363,000 after acquiring an additional 2,440,377 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,499,819 shares of the company's stock worth $8,356,155,000 after purchasing an additional 1,079,970 shares in the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its position in PepsiCo by 14,857.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 49,252,907 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,068,777,000 after purchasing an additional 48,923,629 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 33,617,937 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,814,835,000 after purchasing an additional 360,936 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 28,090,426 shares of the company's stock worth $4,031,646,000 after purchasing an additional 295,955 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other PepsiCo news, EVP David Flavell sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.54, for a total transaction of $404,666.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 74,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,441,080.50. This trade represents a 3.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $141.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.93. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $133.73 and a fifty-two week high of $171.48. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $139.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $149.51. The company has a market capitalization of $192.55 billion, a PE ratio of 18.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.35.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The company reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.01. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.78% and a return on equity of 54.63%. The firm had revenue of $24.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.57 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. PepsiCo's payout ratio is presently 77.59%.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted PepsiCo as a defensive large-cap opportunity, citing its roughly 4% dividend yield and the potential benefit of lower oil prices. Cheaper fuel could support consumer spending and reduce transportation and operating costs. Jim Cramer Shares Why PepsiCo Caught His Eye During Consumer Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Investors remain attracted to PepsiCo’s 54-year record of consecutive dividend increases and comparatively reasonable valuation. Improving international results could help offset continuing weakness in North America, supporting the case for income-oriented investors. Most Investors Overlook This. I’m Buying PepsiCo for Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is pursuing growth beyond its traditional snack portfolio by introducing and emphasizing global flavors, a strategy that could broaden consumer appeal and create new avenues for international growth. PepsiCo Bets on Global Flavors to Grow Beyond Snacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary describing consumer staples as a lagging sector frames PepsiCo as a value opportunity rather than a near-term growth leader. The investment appeal depends on the stock’s discounted valuation, dividend support and execution on its recovery plans. The Consumer Staples Sector Is Lagging the S&P 500
• Negative Sentiment: Texas authorities are investigating PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz over claims involving avocado oil. The outcome and scope of the investigation are unclear, but regulatory scrutiny could create legal, reputational or product-related costs. PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz Under Investigation in Texas Over Avocado Oil Claims
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts note that PepsiCo’s dividend faces pressure from slower growth, persistent North American weakness and a more difficult recovery than the commodity-driven risks facing Chevron. This raises questions about future payout growth, despite the company’s long dividend history. Chevron or PepsiCo: Whose Dividend Is Standing on Thinner Ice?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on PEP. UBS Group set a $159.00 price objective on PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $163.00 to $161.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $155.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $176.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $157.90.

PepsiCo Company Profile

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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