GF Fund Management CO. LTD. Acquires 4,698 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

GF Fund Management CO. LTD. grew its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 264,721 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,698 shares during the period. PepsiCo comprises approximately 0.9% of GF Fund Management CO. LTD.'s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. GF Fund Management CO. LTD.'s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $39,692,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of PEP. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Trading Down 0.7%

PepsiCo stock opened at $135.58 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $127.60 and a one year high of $180.91. The business's fifty day moving average is $131.36 and its 200 day moving average is $142.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.13, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $185.88 billion, a PE ratio of 19.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.27 and a beta of 0.45.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 58.28%. The company had revenue of $17.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 6th were given a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.20%. This is a boost from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 6th. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.68%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PEP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $148.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded PepsiCo from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $171.00 to $170.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Barclays dropped their target price 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. Citigroup reduced their price target on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $140.00 price objective on PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $159.75.

About PepsiCo

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.

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