Norges Bank Invests $3.02 Billion in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Key Points

• Norges Bank opened a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter, buying about 21.0 million shares valued at roughly $3.02 billion, and now owns about 1.54% of the company.
• Institutional interest remains high, with 73.07% of PepsiCo’s stock held by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Several firms also recently increased their stakes.
• PepsiCo continues to support income investors: it raised its quarterly dividend by 4% to $1.48 per share, while analysts currently have a Hold consensus with an average price target of $170.11.

Norges Bank acquired a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 21,034,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,018,813,000. Norges Bank owned 1.54% of PepsiCo at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 59,392 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,031,000 after buying an additional 6,574 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 1st quarter valued at about $251,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 138.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,527 shares of the company's stock valued at $862,000 after buying an additional 3,790 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 10.1% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 38,164 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,039,000 after buying an additional 3,502 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 45.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 536,133 shares of the company's stock valued at $70,789,000 after buying an additional 167,707 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on PEP shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on PepsiCo from $130.00 to $132.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on PepsiCo from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on PepsiCo from $172.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $170.11.

More PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo continues to appeal to income investors after raising its quarterly dividend by 4% to $1.48 per share, reinforcing its reputation as a reliable dividend payer. Here is Why PepsiCo (PEP) is Among the Best Dividend-Paying Beverage Stocks to Buy Now
• Positive Sentiment: New sustainability and agricultural partnerships, including work with EIT Food and Fertiberia, support PepsiCo’s long-term supply chain resilience and lower-carbon goals. PepsiCo Foundation and EIT Food back young European farmers with new programme
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also being highlighted for brand and product strategy, including packaging and smaller-portion changes aimed at matching shifting consumer preferences and competing more effectively with rivals like Coca-Cola. Pepsi makes big change to counter Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles frame PepsiCo as a strong brand and sponsorship player in global beverage markets, which is supportive of the long-term story but not a direct catalyst for the stock right now. APAC Non-Alcoholic Beverages Industry Sport Sponsorship Analysis Report 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of PepsiCo’s marketing leadership and “people and planet” branding reinforces the company’s positioning, but it appears more like thought leadership than a near-term earnings driver. How PepsiCo’s CMO Is Building Brands That Perform For People And Planet
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has been sliding alongside a stronger market, suggesting investors remain cautious despite PepsiCo’s defensive profile and dividend support. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of PEP opened at $144.19 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $197.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.64, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $153.13 and a 200-day moving average of $152.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $171.48.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 56.61% and a net margin of 9.15%.The business's revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.48 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

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

PepsiCo declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 3rd that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

About PepsiCo

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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