Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC Takes Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 8,138 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,237,000. PepsiCo makes up about 1.1% of Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo Trading Down 1.4%

NASDAQ:PEP traded down $1.86 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $128.45. 10,452,154 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,342,287. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $127.90 and a 12-month high of $183.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $142.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $150.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $176.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.47.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $17.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.43% and a return on equity of 58.87%. PepsiCo's revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 6th will be given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 6th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.43%. This is a boost from PepsiCo's previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. PepsiCo's payout ratio is currently 83.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PEP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Evercore ISI set a $140.00 target price on PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $184.00 to $178.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, HSBC lowered their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average 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.