PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Shares Purchased by QRG Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management raised its PepsiCo stake by 5.9% in Q4, buying 9,203 shares to hold 163,938 shares valued at about $23.53 million.
• PepsiCo beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $1.61 vs. $1.55 and revenue of $19.44 billion (vs. $18.89 billion), and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $8.465–$8.628 (analysts project $8.63).
• The board authorized a $10.0 billion share buyback (up to ~4.7% of shares) and the company pays an annualized dividend of $5.69 (yield ~3.7%, payout ratio ~89%).

QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 5.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 163,938 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,203 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $23,528,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JCIC Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on PEP. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of PepsiCo from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 18th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. HSBC upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $175.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $170.26.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a Buy on PEP and highlighted strong earnings momentum, backing a $186 price target — a bullish signal that supports the stock’s medium-term valuation and could limit downside from short-term noise. UBS Highlights Strong Earnings Momentum for PepsiCo (PEP)
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s productivity and cost-savings initiatives are being emphasized as a key buffer against inflationary pressure — this reduces earnings risk and supports margin resilience if input costs rise. Can Productivity Savings Shield PepsiCo From Inflation Pressures?
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation and portfolio expansion (Tostitos refrigerated dips, Pure Leaf Mental Focus sparkling teas, MUG/Quaker collaborations) broaden growth levers and help drive incremental revenue in higher-margin formats. Investors view new SKUs and cross-brand bundles as supportive for top-line momentum. PepsiCo Balances Human Rights Scrutiny With Health Focused Product Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Gatorade’s “Body of Science” multi-year research commitment targets women’s hydration needs — a meaningful brand and R&D investment that can deepen category leadership and support future product commercialization. Gatorade Unveils "Body of Science"
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend-focused write-ups continue to include PepsiCo as a reliable dividend compounder, which supports long-term investor demand but has limited immediate impact on intraday moves. 10 Years, Zero Regrets: The Dividend Stocks I Keep Buying
• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder proposal seeks more detailed reporting on human-rights policy effectiveness and due diligence; governance scrutiny ahead of the annual meeting can create uncertainty and headline risk that depresses sentiment. PepsiCo Balances Human Rights Scrutiny With Health Focused Product Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: One roundup included PEP among “unpopular” names receiving downbeat forecasts, which can prompt tactical selling by momentum or quant funds and add selling pressure even if fundamentals remain intact. 3 Unpopular Stocks We Keep Off Our Radar

PepsiCo Trading Down 1.8%

PEP opened at $154.59 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $211.29 billion, a PE ratio of 24.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.38. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $157.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $152.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.72. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $127.60 and a 12-month high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $19.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 56.61%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.48 earnings per share. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.465-8.628 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio is 89.32%.

PepsiCo announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board 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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