PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Sold by HM Payson & Co.

HM Payson & Co. trimmed its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 4.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 113,750 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,261 shares during the period. HM Payson & Co.'s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $17,056,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in PepsiCo by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 14,062,857 shares of the company's stock worth $2,108,585,000 after purchasing an additional 49,699 shares in the last quarter. Elite Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. World Investment Advisors lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 77,905 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,681,000 after purchasing an additional 4,089 shares during the last quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC lifted its position in PepsiCo by 71.1% during the 1st quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC now owns 29,980 shares of the company's stock worth $4,495,000 after acquiring an additional 12,463 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the 1st quarter worth $219,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $135.58 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $180.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.13, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $185.88 billion, a PE ratio of 19.94, a PEG ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $131.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $142.26.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last issued 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 net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 58.28%. The firm had revenue of $17.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 6th were given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This is an increase from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 6th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.20%. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio is currently 83.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on PEP. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $148.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Dbs Bank cut shares of PepsiCo from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Evercore ISI set a $140.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $158.00 to $159.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. One research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $159.75.

About PepsiCo

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.

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