Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co Has $32.65 Million Stake in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Key Points

• Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co trimmed its PepsiCo stake by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 17,500 shares and ending with 227,500 shares worth about $32.65 million.
• Wall Street sentiment on PepsiCo remains mixed but generally cautious: analysts have an average rating of “Hold” with an average target price of $170.11, while recent notes ranged from Buy to Hold.
• PepsiCo reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for the latest quarter and also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.48 per share, supporting its appeal as a steady income stock despite inflation and margin concerns.

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co reduced its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 7.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 227,500 shares of the company's stock after selling 17,500 shares during the quarter. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $32,651,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the third quarter worth $31,000. Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the third quarter worth $33,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of PepsiCo by 56.3% in the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PEP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on PepsiCo from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Evercore lifted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Friday, April 17th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $170.11.

Trending Headlines about PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo recently boosted its quarterly dividend by 4% to $1.48 per share, a signal of confidence in cash flow and shareholder returns. The company was also highlighted as one of the best dividend-paying beverage stocks to buy now. Here is Why PepsiCo (PEP) is Among the Best Dividend-Paying Beverage Stocks to Buy Now
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler reiterated a Buy rating on PepsiCo with a $181 price target, suggesting upside from current levels even as investors weigh inflation headwinds. Piper Sandler Sticks With Buy Rating on PepsiCo (PEP) Amid Inflation Concerns
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation announced several sustainability and agriculture initiatives, including support for young European farmers and a low-carbon fertilizer alliance, which may help long-term brand positioning but is unlikely to move the stock immediately. Future Harvest: The European program tackling the decline in generational renewal in farming
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports about new packaging labels, AI hiring priorities, and PepsiCo’s role in APAC sports sponsorship mostly reflect ongoing operational and marketing trends rather than a direct earnings catalyst. PepsiCo new packaging to carry 'no artificial flavours or colours' label
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading has shown PepsiCo stock slipping as the broader market rose, with investors still concerned about inflation pressures and margin risk for a consumer staples company facing higher input costs. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of PEP opened at $146.29 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. PepsiCo, Inc. has a twelve month low of $127.60 and a twelve month high of $171.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $199.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a 50 day moving average of $153.31 and a 200-day moving average of $152.66.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 56.61%. The firm's revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.48 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a $1.48 dividend. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This is a positive change from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio is 89.32%.

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

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.