Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. Sells 69,016 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. lessened its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 13.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 460,861 shares of the company's stock after selling 69,016 shares during the quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC.'s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $70,079,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Collier Financial bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company's stock.

PepsiCo Trading Down 1.3%

PEP traded down $1.65 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $130.15. 9,238,122 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,432,717. The firm has a market capitalization of $178.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.73, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.47. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $127.87 and a 1-year high of $182.13. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $140.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $148.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.49 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $17.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.61 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 6th will be given a $1.4225 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 6th. This is a positive change from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.37%. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on PEP. Citigroup lowered their price objective on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. StockNews.com downgraded PepsiCo from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. HSBC reduced their target price on PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on PepsiCo from $175.00 to $169.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $160.69.

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.