Waverton Investment Management Ltd Boosts Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 284,644 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,033 shares during the quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $42,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of PEP. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $148.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday. Evercore ISI set a $140.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $158.00 to $159.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $168.00 to $153.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 25th. One 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $159.75.

PepsiCo Stock Up 0.2%

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $128.22 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $175.80 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.45. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $180.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.13. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $132.07 and a 200-day moving average of $143.22.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.01). PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 58.28%. The company had revenue of $17.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 6th will be paid a $1.4225 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 6th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.44%. This is a positive change from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.68%.

PepsiCo Company Profile

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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