PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Stake Trimmed by Profund Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Profund Advisors trimmed its PepsiCo stake by 7.3% in the third quarter, selling 7,590 shares and retaining 96,377 shares valued at approximately $12.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 73.07% of PepsiCo.
• PepsiCo’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with revenue rising 5.6% year over year to $25.27 billion and earnings of $2.34 per share versus the $2.29 consensus estimate.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: PepsiCo has a consensus “Hold” rating and a $143.28 target price, while the stock recently traded at $137.34. CEO Ramon Laguarta sold shares, but director Robert Pohlad significantly increased his holdings through a large purchase.

Profund Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 96,377 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,590 shares during the quarter. Profund Advisors LLC's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $12,213,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Core Capital Management & Research inc. purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the second quarter valued at approximately $932,000. State Street Corp lifted its position in PepsiCo by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,406,932 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,179,099,000 after acquiring an additional 987,582 shares during the period. First Nebraska Trust Co purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the first quarter worth about $10,782,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in PepsiCo by 19.0% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,110,852 shares of the company's stock valued at $150,409,000 after buying an additional 177,468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 157.0% in the 1st quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 529,129 shares of the company's stock worth $82,168,000 after purchasing an additional 323,278 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PEP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $165.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Friday, October 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $133.00 to $126.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $132.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $143.28.

PepsiCo Stock Up 2.7%

PEP stock opened at $137.34 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $187.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.25, a PEG ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $133.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $145.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.76. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.47 and a 1-year high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.05. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 53.08% and a net margin of 11.09%. The business had revenue of $25.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.95 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.29 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.39 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at PepsiCo

In other news, CEO Ramon Laguarta sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.13, for a total transaction of $4,053,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 491,645 shares of the company's stock, valued at $66,435,988.85. This represents a 5.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert Pohlad purchased 184,646 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $128.28 per share, with a total value of $23,686,388.88. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 433,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $55,546,394.52. This represents a 74.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Third-quarter revenue rose 5.6% year over year to $25.27 billion, topping consensus, while core earnings per share of $2.34 also beat estimates. Organic revenue growth accelerated to 3.1%. Why PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Operating trends showed improvement. PepsiCo reported organic volume growth across global beverages and convenient foods, broad strength in international markets, and sequential improvement in North American foods. Its updated outlook calls for approximately 6% net revenue growth and about 3% organic revenue growth in 2026. Why PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal remains a supporting factor. Analysts and investment commentary continue to highlight PepsiCo’s dividend, which offers a yield above 4%, as well as the defensive nature of its combined beverage-and-snacks portfolio. Why Is PepsiCo Stock Falling, and Is It a Buying Opportunity?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and positioning could attract buyers. PEP trades well below its 52-week high, and the median analyst price target cited is $168 versus a recent share price near $137. However, institutional ownership data showed both significant additions and reductions, indicating mixed conviction.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit guidance was reduced. PepsiCo cut its 2026 core constant-currency EPS growth forecast to 1%–2%, down from the low end of its prior 4%–6% range. The downgrade reflects continuing pressure on margins and profitability despite firmer revenue expectations. PepsiCo stock outlook cut as North American reset deepens
• Negative Sentiment: North America remains the key risk. PepsiCo has cut prices by as much as 15% to win back price-sensitive consumers, raising questions about pricing power and future margins. The stock also remains below its 200-day moving average, reflecting investors’ caution about the recovery.

PepsiCo Company Profile

PepsiCo, Inc NASDAQ: PEP is a global food and beverage company whose portfolio includes Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker, Tostitos, Fritos, and SodaStream. Its products span carbonated soft drinks, sports and energy beverages, bottled water, juices, convenient foods, snacks, and other packaged food offerings.

The company sells products through retail stores, restaurants, food-service providers, e-commerce platforms, and other distribution channels. PepsiCo serves consumers in North America and international markets across Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

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