Willis Investment Counsel Boosts Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel increased its PepsiCo stake by 4.6% in the second quarter, acquiring 10,462 additional shares for a total holding of 239,514 shares valued at approximately $32.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 73.07% of PepsiCo.
• PepsiCo exceeded quarterly expectations with $2.20 in earnings per share and $24.18 billion in revenue, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $8.55–$8.71.
• PepsiCo declared a quarterly dividend of $1.48, equivalent to $5.92 annually and a 4.2% yield. Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $157.90, compared with the stock’s reported price of $142.08.

Willis Investment Counsel increased its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 239,514 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,462 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo comprises about 1.5% of Willis Investment Counsel's holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $32,430,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Atlatl Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company's stock.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of PepsiCo stock opened at $142.08 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $193.92 billion, a PE ratio of 18.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12 month low of $133.73 and a 12 month high of $171.48. The business's 50-day moving average price is $140.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $150.34.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The company reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.01. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 54.63% and a net margin of 10.78%.The company had revenue of $24.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.92 EPS. PepsiCo's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio is 77.59%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Flavell sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.54, for a total transaction of $404,666.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 74,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,441,080.50. This trade represents a 3.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PEP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $155.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Friday, July 10th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group set a $159.00 target price on PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $134.00 target price on PepsiCo in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on PepsiCo from $173.00 to $164.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $157.90.

PepsiCo 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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