Metis Global Partners LLC Sells 8,552 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Key Points

• Metis Global Partners LLC cut its PepsiCo stake by 13.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 8,552 shares and leaving it with 54,701 shares valued at about $7.85 million.
• PepsiCo reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.61 versus $1.55 expected and revenue of $19.44 billion, up 8.5% from a year earlier.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.48 per share, implying a 4.1% annualized yield, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

Metis Global Partners LLC reduced its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 13.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 54,701 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,552 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $7,851,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Norges Bank acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,018,813,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in PepsiCo by 120.7% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,916,417 shares of the company's stock valued at $830,902,000 after purchasing an additional 3,235,726 shares during the last quarter. Amundi grew its stake in PepsiCo by 30.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 8,641,588 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,207,230,000 after purchasing an additional 1,995,362 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in PepsiCo by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 138,483,870 shares of the company's stock valued at $19,875,205,000 after purchasing an additional 1,612,652 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec grew its stake in PepsiCo by 151.7% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 2,597,986 shares of the company's stock valued at $364,861,000 after purchasing an additional 1,565,883 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of PEP opened at $144.32 on Thursday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $171.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. The company has a market capitalization of $197.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.66, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.35. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $151.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $152.44.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.06. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 56.61% and a net margin of 9.15%.The firm had revenue of $19.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.48 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be paid a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This is a positive change from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 92.94%.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo expanded its autonomous logistics push by deploying driverless trucks to deliver chips and drinks across Texas, Arizona, and Arkansas, signaling potential cost savings and supply-chain efficiency gains. PepsiCo and Gatik launch commercial driverless trucking deployment
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that PepsiCo’s driverless Doritos fleet is already operating at scale and outpacing Tesla’s robotaxi rollout may be viewed as a win for PepsiCo’s innovation image and operational execution. PepsiCo’s driverless Doritos fleet outpaces Tesla’s robotaxis in North Texas
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo and Gatik said they launched the largest commercial driverless trucking deployment to date, which could boost investor confidence in PepsiCo’s logistics modernization and long-term margins. PepsiCo and Gatik launch commercial driverless trucking deployment
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo launched “House of Treats,” a new experiential beverage platform aimed at premium away-from-home channels, suggesting new growth opportunities beyond core soda and snacks. PEPSI® GLOBAL LAUNCHES PEPSI 'HOUSE OF TREATS' A NEW AWAY FROM HOME EXPERIENTIAL BEVERAGE PLATFORM
• Positive Sentiment: Several research-style articles argued PepsiCo remains a strong long-term growth or rebound candidate, which can reinforce bullish sentiment around the stock. Why PepsiCo (PEP) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ average recommendation remains “Hold,” indicating Wall Street is constructive but not aggressively bullish on the name right now. PepsiCo, Inc. NASDAQ: PEP Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo’s recent stock pullback has prompted valuation-focused commentary, suggesting some investors are weighing whether the shares have become cheaper after the decline. Is It Time To Reconsider PepsiCo (PEP) After The Recent 9% Share Price Pullback

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on PEP. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $130.00 to $132.00 in a research note on Monday, May 11th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $191.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $163.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Argus upgraded PepsiCo to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $169.58.

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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