PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Shares Purchased by Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY

Key Points

• Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY raised its stake in PepsiCo by 3.9% in Q4, buying 7,691 shares to hold 204,668 shares worth about $29.37 million, roughly 2.6% of the firm's portfolio (its 13th largest holding).
• Several large institutions materially increased positions — including AQR (+120.7%), First Trust (+112.6%), Amundi (+30%), Assenagon (+60.2%) and Holocene (+2,437.1%) — leaving 73.07% institutional ownership of PEP.
• PepsiCo paid a $1.4225 quarterly dividend (annualized $5.69, ~3.7% yield) and the board authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program (up to ~4.7% of shares), though the payout ratio is high at about 94.8%.

Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY raised its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 3.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 204,668 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 7,691 shares during the period. PepsiCo makes up about 2.6% of Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY's investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Matrix Asset Advisors Inc. NY's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $29,374,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of PepsiCo by 120.7% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,916,417 shares of the company's stock worth $830,902,000 after purchasing an additional 3,235,726 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 112.6% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 4,040,079 shares of the company's stock valued at $533,452,000 after purchasing an additional 2,139,847 shares during the period. Amundi increased its stake in PepsiCo by 30.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 8,641,588 shares of the company's stock worth $1,207,230,000 after purchasing an additional 1,995,362 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 60.2% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 5,051,114 shares of the company's stock worth $709,378,000 after buying an additional 1,897,865 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 2,437.1% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 1,913,529 shares of the company's stock valued at $252,662,000 after buying an additional 1,838,108 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $190.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on PepsiCo from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $169.00.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sector rotation into defensive, dividend-rich names is helping demand for consumer staples like PepsiCo as recession odds rise; that cyclical defensive flow can support PEP’s valuation and dividend appeal. As Recession Odds Climb, Defensive Sectors Continue to Outperform (PEP)
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing and distribution wins — Pepsi Football Nation (global fan platform) and new Official Beverage Supplier deals for expanded Sunset Amphitheater venues — could increase beverage penetration at live events and boost away‑from‑home volumes. Is Pepsi Football Nation And New Venue Deals Reshaping the Investment Case For PepsiCo (PEP)?
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is investing in sustainability and cost control — a ~US$4.8M solar installation for a UK distribution site reinforces energy-cost and ESG initiatives that can improve margins over time. Behind PepsiCo's US$4.8m Investment in UK Solar
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism and earnings momentum: PepsiCo’s track record of small earnings beats and analysts calling for another potential beat supports upside expectations. Will PepsiCo (PEP) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Some broker commentary remains constructive — a recent Deutsche Bank piece (3/31) highlighted upside to ~$169, signaling that some sell‑side desks still see notable upside. PepsiCo Could Climb 10% to $169 as Deutsche Bank Rates the Stock a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term income investors continue to favor PEP — coverage highlighting PepsiCo as an outperforming Dividend Aristocrat supports steady demand from income-focused buyers. We Highlighted 3 Undervalued Dividend Aristocrats a Year Ago
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo’s role at the Sustainability LIVE summit increases visibility on ESG strategy, but impacts are longer term and gradual for valuation. PepsiCo’s Sustainability Role At 2026 Summit And What It Means For Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor personnel moves in the consumer space (former PepsiCo exec joining a smaller brand) are noted but unlikely to move PEP shares materially. Brothers All Natural Lands Former PepsiCo Executive Melissa McCormack
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry consolidation (e.g., McCormick/Unilever foods merger) reshapes competitive dynamics in food aisles, but implications for PepsiCo are indirect and medium‑term. McCormick and Unilever's foods business just announced a spicy merger
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade/expectations cut — a report says Deutsche Bank lowered its expectations for PepsiCo, which can pressure the stock by reducing short‑term sell‑side support. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Has Lowered Expectations for PepsiCo NASDAQ: PEP
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing comparisons to Coca‑Cola and articles arguing Coke is more attractive can shift investor preference away from PepsiCo in the near term. What Makes Coca-Cola More Attractive Than PepsiCo?

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP stock opened at $154.65 on Thursday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $127.60 and a fifty-two week high of $171.48. The stock's 50-day moving average is $159.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $150.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market cap of $211.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.78, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.39.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.The business had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.96 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were given a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo's payout ratio is currently 94.83%.

PepsiCo announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's management 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PEP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.