Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Raises Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Key Points

• Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. by 76.9% during the first quarter, owning a total of 24,244 shares worth approximately $3.6 million.
• Several large investors have also adjusted their stakes in PepsiCo, with a significant increase of 138.9% in holdings by Ossiam in the fourth quarter.
• PepsiCo announced a quarterly dividend of $1.4225 per share, representing a 3.8% yield, to be paid on September 30th.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 76.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,244 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,539 shares during the period. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.'s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $3,635,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 630,906 shares of the company's stock worth $94,598,000 after acquiring an additional 21,859 shares in the last quarter. Ignite Planners LLC grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 3,773 shares of the company's stock worth $566,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Ossiam grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 138.9% during the 4th quarter. Ossiam now owns 73,604 shares of the company's stock worth $11,192,000 after acquiring an additional 42,793 shares in the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the 1st quarter worth $3,633,000. Finally, OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 124,797 shares of the company's stock worth $18,977,000 after acquiring an additional 13,461 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PEP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $132.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 21st. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $153.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Thursday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $139.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $158.73.

PepsiCo Stock Up 1.2%

PEP stock opened at $150.40 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $179.73. The company has a market capitalization of $205.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.45. The firm's 50-day moving average is $137.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $22.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.28 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.23% and a return on equity of 57.81%. The business's revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.28 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 5th will be given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 5th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. PepsiCo's payout ratio is presently 103.64%.

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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