PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Holdings Lifted by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 13.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 60,710 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,017 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $9,232,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PEP traded down $0.70 on Wednesday, hitting $130.67. 8,065,460 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,509,889. PepsiCo, Inc. has a twelve month low of $127.75 and a twelve month high of $180.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. The firm has a market cap of $179.16 billion, a PE ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.47. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $138.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $147.83.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last posted 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). PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The firm had revenue of $17.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. PepsiCo's revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 6th will be given a $1.4225 dividend. This is a boost from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 6th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.35%. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio is 83.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $168.00 to $153.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $163.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $175.00 to $169.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. CICC Research restated a "market perform" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $158.00 to $159.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. One research 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 MarketBeat, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $160.69.

PepsiCo Company 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.