PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP Stock Holdings Lessened by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Key Points

• Commonwealth Equity Services cut its PepsiCo stake by 4.5% in the third quarter, selling 30,401 shares; it still held 641,056 shares valued at about $81.2 million.
• PepsiCo’s latest quarterly results beat estimates: earnings were $2.34 per share versus $2.29 expected, and revenue rose 5.6% year over year to $25.27 billion.
• Investors face a mixed outlook: PepsiCo lowered its 2026 EPS growth outlook amid North American margin pressure, while renewing its KFC beverage partnership in eight international markets. Analysts’ consensus rating is Hold, with an average price target of $143.28.

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 4.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 641,056 shares of the company's stock after selling 30,401 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $81,235,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Next Level Wealth Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Atlatl Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the second quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company's stock.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo renewed its beverage partnership with KFC across eight international markets. The deal extends a longstanding relationship and could support sales and distribution as KFC expands internationally. PepsiCo Secures Renewal Across Select KFC International Markets
• Neutral Sentiment: A valuation analysis argues PEP could be undervalued, citing the KFC renewal and recent share performance. That is an analyst view, not a change to the company’s financial results. PepsiCo (PEP) Could Be 29% Undervalued Following Its KFC Deal Renewal
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo lowered its 2026 EPS growth outlook as North American margin pressures persist. Strong international growth and productivity savings may help offset the weakness, but the guidance cut is a potential drag on investor expectations. PepsiCo Lowers 2026 EPS Outlook as North America Pressures Margins
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo’s CEO reportedly sold shares after the guidance reduction, which could add to investor concerns about the weaker outlook. These 3 Underperforming Stocks Are Seeing Notable CEO Insider Trades
• Negative Sentiment: India’s food regulator has challenged PepsiCo’s energy-drink labeling, alleging the branding could mislead consumers. The dispute introduces potential regulatory and reputational risk, though the articles do not specify any financial penalty. PepsiCo, Monster face FSSAI pushback over energy drink labelling

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Ramon Laguarta sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 491,645 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $66,435,988.85. This represents a 5.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert C. Pohlad acquired 184,646 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $128.28 per share, for a total transaction of $23,686,388.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 433,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at $55,546,394.52. This trade represents a 74.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on PEP shares. TD Cowen cut their price target on PepsiCo from $145.00 to $133.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $176.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $138.00 to $137.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $132.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, October 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $143.28.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PEP traded down $1.37 during trading on Friday, reaching $141.34. The company's stock had a trading volume of 8,708,176 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,537,633. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.47 and a 52-week high of $171.48. The company's fifty day moving average price is $133.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.75. The company has a market capitalization of $192.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.94.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.29 by $0.05. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 53.08% and a net margin of 11.09%. The firm had revenue of $25.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.29 earnings per share. PepsiCo's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Profile

PepsiCo, Inc is a global food and beverage company that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of products. Its portfolio includes snacks such as Lay's, Doritos and Cheetos, as well as beverages including Pepsi, Gatorade and Mountain Dew.

The company was formed in 1965 through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay. Its products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories through retail, food-service and other distribution channels.

PepsiCo is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

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