Matrix Trust Co Lowers Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Key Points

• Matrix Trust Co slashed its stake in PepsiCo by 95.3% in Q4, selling 7,702 shares and retaining 382 shares worth about $55,000, while institutional investors still own roughly 73.07% of the company.
• Shareholder returns and results: PepsiCo announced a quarterly dividend of $1.4225 (annual $5.69, ~3.8% yield; ex-dividend Mar 6) and a $10 billion buyback plan (~4.7% of shares), alongside a modest EPS beat (Q EPS $2.26 vs $2.24) and a MarketBeat consensus "Hold" rating with a $169 average price target.

Matrix Trust Co decreased its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 95.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 382 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,702 shares during the quarter. Matrix Trust Co's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $55,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the second quarter valued at $27,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position in PepsiCo by 107.1% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 234 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 667.7% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Leadership highlights strong cost-management tools — PepsiCo says it sources roughly 95% of ingredients locally in APAC, uses hedging and is applying AI to improve planning and cut cost pressures; this reduces input‑cost and geopolitical risk. PepsiCo Leans on Local Sourcing and AI to Navigate Cost Pressures (Yahoo)
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/brand engagement push — PepsiCo launched a global “Pepsi Football Nation” platform to boost fan engagement and global brand presence, which can support revenue and marketing ROI around major sports events. PepsiCo launches global ‘Pepsi Football Nation’ platform (BestMediaInfo)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/strategy bull case — coverage arguing PepsiCo is a top long‑term growth stock highlights durable brands, pricing power and diversification as reasons to own the name for steady growth and dividends. Why PepsiCo (PEP) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings preview — analysts’ preview pieces outline expectations ahead of the next quarterly report; watch EPS, organic revenue trends and margins (pricing vs. volume) for a potential catalyst. PepsiCo Earnings Preview: What to Expect (Barchart)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investment-story evolution — coverage notes management is shifting the story around pricing and 2026 growth hopes; investors should monitor margin trajectory and guidance for clarity. How The PepsiCo (PEP) Investment Story Is Shifting On Pricing And 2026 Growth Hopes (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets flag fundamentals questions — a roundup that highlights “profitable stocks with questionable fundamentals” includes PepsiCo in a broader critique, which can weigh on sentiment among value or fundamentals‑focused investors. 3 Profitable Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend-aristocrat commentary and “beaten-down” lists — PEP’s inclusion in pieces about dividend aristocrats or beaten-down names can attract bargain hunters but also signals recent share weakness and elevated short‑term volatility. PepsiCo Leans on Local Sourcing and AI to Navigate Cost Pressures (InsiderMonkey)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on PepsiCo from $163.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $169.00.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.6%

PEP stock opened at $150.83 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The company's 50-day moving average price is $158.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $149.98. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $171.48. The company has a market cap of $206.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.39.

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

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio is presently 94.83%.

PepsiCo announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo 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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