Donaldson Capital Management LLC Sells 181,947 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Key Points

• Donaldson Capital Management drastically cut its stake in PepsiCo, selling 181,947 shares in Q4 (a 90% reduction) and retaining 20,311 shares worth about $2.92 million.
• PepsiCo declared a quarterly dividend of $1.4225 per share (ex-dividend March 6, payable March 31), implying a $5.69 annual payout and a ~3.7% yield, and its board authorized a $10 billion share buyback (up to ~4.7% of shares).
• Analyst consensus remains a Hold with an average price target of $169, while PepsiCo recently beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates (EPS $2.26 vs. $2.24; revenue $29.34B vs. $28.96B).

Donaldson Capital Management LLC lessened its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 90.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,311 shares of the company's stock after selling 181,947 shares during the quarter. Donaldson Capital Management LLC's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,915,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PEP. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the second quarter worth $27,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its position in PepsiCo by 667.7% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of PepsiCo from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $169.00.

Key Stories Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Market note showing shares climbing on the session — reflects investor appetite today amid other supportive news. PepsiCo (PEP) Increases Despite Market Slip: Here's What You Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights heavy local sourcing (~95% in APAC) plus AI and hedging to control input-cost and geopolitical risks — this should support margins and supply resilience. PepsiCo Leans on Local Sourcing and AI to Navigate Cost Pressures
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage on the same theme: local sourcing and AI-driven cost management, reinforcing the narrative that PepsiCo is proactively protecting margins. PepsiCo Leans on Local Sourcing and AI to Navigate Cost Pressures
• Positive Sentiment: Product strategy shift into meat snacks to meet demand for cleaner ingredients — diversification into premium/snacking categories can boost revenue mix and margins if execution scales. PepsiCo pivots into meat snacks, as consumers now want 'cleaner' ingredients
• Positive Sentiment: New global marketing platform "Pepsi Football Nation" expands brand engagement and sponsorship reach — a potential tailwind for beverage/packaged-snack demand around sports. Pepsi Football Nation: a new global platform celebrates football culture
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo sees opportunity from China’s new Five-Year Plan — management tone suggests growth focus in a key market, which investors may view as constructive for international revenue. PepsiCo chief sees potential of China's new Five-Year Plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus remains an average "Hold" — suggests no near-term re-rating from sell-side, so short-term moves may be driven more by company updates than upgrades. PepsiCo, Inc. NASDAQ: PEP Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings preview ahead of results — analysts will be watching organic sales, margin trends and guidance; the preview keeps focus on upcoming catalysts rather than changing fundamentals today. PepsiCo Earnings Preview: What to Expect
• Negative Sentiment: Article flags PepsiCo among profitable companies with "questionable fundamentals" — a reminder some investors see valuation or structural concerns despite profitability; could pressure sentiment if echoed by analysts. 3 Profitable Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $153.04 on Monday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $171.48. The business's 50 day moving average price is $158.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $150.16. 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 $209.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.39.

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

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. PepsiCo's payout ratio is currently 94.83%.

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

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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