Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. Makes New $5.23 Million Investment in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Key Points

• Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. opened a new position in PepsiCo in Q4, buying 36,412 shares valued at approximately $5.23 million.
• PepsiCo beat Q1 expectations with $19.44B in revenue and $1.61 EPS—management cited price cuts that revived U.S. snack volumes—and announced a $10 billion share buyback and a 3.6% dividend yield, though FY‑2026 guidance was viewed as modest and analysts remain mixed (consensus "Hold", $170.05 target).

Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. bought a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 36,412 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,226,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in PEP. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,499,819 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,356,155,000 after acquiring an additional 1,079,970 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in PepsiCo by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 13,617,747 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,912,476,000 after purchasing an additional 958,701 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 1.3% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 8,902,664 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,250,290,000 after purchasing an additional 118,286 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 30.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 8,641,588 shares of the company's stock worth $1,207,230,000 after buying an additional 1,995,362 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 2.0% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 8,112,038 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,139,255,000 after buying an additional 155,636 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and volume recovery — PepsiCo reported Q1 revenue of $19.44B and EPS of $1.61 (above consensus). Management said recent price cuts on snacks helped revive U.S. food volumes, supporting top-line momentum. PepsiCo tops quarterly revenue estimates as price cuts drive demand
• Positive Sentiment: Broker support rising — Several major banks raised price targets and kept bullish ratings after the quarter (examples: Goldman to $183, BNP Paribas to $195, JPMorgan to $178, Deutsche to $173), giving the stock additional analyst-driven upside. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on PepsiCo
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and innovation initiatives — Management highlighted a Gatorade overhaul and new product push (including energy and hydration innovations) as part of a broader “hungry and thirsty for growth” strategy that could sustain the recovery. PepsiCo Q1 earnings beat: CEO talks Gatorade overhaul & more
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary mixed — While many firms raised targets, some analysts struck cautionary notes on margins and consumer trends; expect divergent views to continue driving intraday volatility. What analysts are saying about PepsiCo after its earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and revenue outlook under the microscope — FY‑2026 EPS and revenue ranges were viewed as modest versus some consensus math (company-provided EPS range ~8.465–8.628 and revenue guidance slightly below some estimates), which trimmed some upside despite the beat. PepsiCo Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q1 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational/legal hit from Doritos controversy — Coverage notes past controversy cost the company materially; any renewed consumer backlash or litigation headlines could pressure sentiment. PepsiCo Lost Billions Amid a Doritos Controversy

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on PEP shares. Argus raised PepsiCo to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $160.00 to $154.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Evercore upped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Friday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $170.05.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP stock opened at $157.67 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $127.60 and a fifty-two week high of $171.48. The stock's 50-day moving average is $159.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market cap of $215.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.75, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.40.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced 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 business had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 56.61% and a net margin of 9.15%.The firm's revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.48 EPS. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.465-8.628 EPS. Analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were given a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo's payout ratio is currently 94.83%.

PepsiCo Company Profile

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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