PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Price Target Cut to $154.00 by Analysts at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays lowered its price target on PepsiCo to $154 from $160 and kept an "equal weight" rating, implying roughly a 1.21% downside versus the prior close.
• Analyst views are mixed: several firms (Morgan Stanley, Piper Sandler, Evercore) have raised targets recently, but consensus remains an average "Hold" with an average target of $168.16 (8 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell).
• Company fundamentals and shareholder actions: PepsiCo beat Q4 expectations (EPS $2.26; revenue $29.34B), announced a $10B share buyback (up to ~4.7% of shares), and trades near $155.88 with a market cap around $213B and a P/E of ~26.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by research analysts at Barclays from $160.00 to $154.00 in a report released on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Barclays's price objective suggests a potential downside of 1.21% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Argus raised shares of PepsiCo to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Evercore boosted their price objective on PepsiCo from $152.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $168.16.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of PEP opened at $155.88 on Tuesday. PepsiCo has a fifty-two week low of $127.60 and a fifty-two week high of $171.48. The firm has a market cap of $213.08 billion, a PE ratio of 25.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The company's fifty day moving average is $160.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.27.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PepsiCo

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in PepsiCo by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 138,483,870 shares of the company's stock valued at $19,875,205,000 after purchasing an additional 1,612,652 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake 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 worth $8,356,155,000 after buying an additional 1,079,970 shares in the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 14,857.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 49,252,907 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,068,777,000 after buying an additional 48,923,629 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in PepsiCo by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 33,617,937 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,814,835,000 after buying an additional 360,936 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 28,090,426 shares of the company's stock worth $4,031,646,000 after acquiring an additional 295,955 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company's stock.

Key PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo remains attractive for income investors — it's listed among NASDAQ stocks with the highest dividends, which supports demand from dividend-focused funds and long-term holders. Is PepsiCo (PEP) Among the 13 NASDAQ Stocks with Highest Dividends?
• Positive Sentiment: Major brokerages still show conviction: JPMorgan reiterated an Overweight rating on PEP, signaling continued confidence in the consumer-defensive profile and long-term cash generation. What’s Behind Mixed Ratings on PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) in Wall Street
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 earnings preview: PepsiCo reports Q1 2026 results on April 16. Street estimates around $1.55 EPS and ~$18.95B revenue; options imply a ~4.3% move, highlighting event-driven volatility rather than directional conviction. Investors are positioning for the print. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Earnings Preview: Q1 2026 Results Expected April 16
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings commentary highlights steady growth and innovation but flags potential headwinds — this keeps investors watching for guidance and margin commentary rather than moving shares decisively now. PepsiCo Gears Up for Q1 Results: Is It a Smart Pre-Earnings Bet?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts trimmed upside: JPMorgan lowered its price target to $172 (from $176) citing a modest 2026 organic sales growth outlook (2.5%), and RBC trimmed its recommendation/target in its Q1 preview — reductions that reduce near-term upside expectations. What’s Behind Mixed Ratings on PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) in Wall Street
• Negative Sentiment: Margin risks: previews flag tariff-related costs and North America softness that could pressure margins or temper guidance; investors will be sensitive to any weaker-than-expected margin commentary in the Q1 call. 3 Quarterly Reports to Watch This Week: NFLX, PEP, TSM

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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