PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Sold by North Star Investment Management Corp.

North Star Investment Management Corp. decreased its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 17.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 61,398 shares of the company's stock after selling 12,985 shares during the period. PepsiCo makes up approximately 0.7% of North Star Investment Management Corp.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. North Star Investment Management Corp.'s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $9,206,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Trading Down 0.2%

PEP stock traded down $0.33 on Monday, hitting $130.52. 3,075,689 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,890,892. The stock has a market capitalization of $178.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.45. The business's fifty day moving average is $134.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $144.96. PepsiCo, Inc. has a twelve month low of $127.75 and a twelve month high of $180.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.65.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.01). PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The business had revenue of $17.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 6th will be given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This is a boost from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.36%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 6th. PepsiCo's payout ratio is presently 83.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on PEP shares. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on PepsiCo from $168.00 to $153.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Dbs Bank cut PepsiCo from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Bank of America reduced their price target on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $140.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $160.69.

PepsiCo 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.