PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Price Up 1.6% on Insider Buying Activity

Key Points

• PepsiCo shares rose 1.6% to about $133.57 after director Robert Pohlad bought 184,646 shares for approximately $23.7 million, increasing his stake by 74.35%.
• Analysts remain cautious, with PepsiCo carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $145.50, despite some firms maintaining buy ratings.
• The company recently exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.34 in earnings per share and $25.27 billion in revenue, while investors continue to weigh business challenges including customer losses and pressure on its North American operations.

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report)'s stock price was up 1.6% during mid-day trading on Monday following insider buying activity. The company traded as high as $133.81 and last traded at $133.57. 9,454,842 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 16% from the average session volume of 8,152,799 shares. The stock had previously closed at $131.49.

Specifically, Director Robert Pohlad acquired 184,646 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $128.28 per share, with a total value of $23,686,388.88. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 433,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $55,546,394.52. This represents a 74.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Evercore cut their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $145.00 to $133.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $165.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $145.50.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A PepsiCo director purchased approximately $23.7 million of PEP stock. The transaction may signal confidence that the shares are undervalued and provide support for investor sentiment. PepsiCo Director Buys Stock
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo remains a prominent dividend-stock candidate in investor comparisons, supported by its established consumer brands and income appeal. However, these articles are opinion pieces rather than new company announcements. PepsiCo or Philip Morris Dividend Comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have published updated fiscal 2026 earnings expectations for PepsiCo, but no specific forecast change is provided in the report. Investors are already focused on the company’s recently reduced fiscal 2026 core EPS growth outlook. Analysts Offer PepsiCo FY2026 Earnings Predictions
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo leaders are rethinking how employees and shareholders should benefit from productivity gains driven by artificial intelligence. Potential efficiency improvements could help over time, although the article does not identify a new financial target or investment commitment. AI Productivity Boom and PepsiCo
• Negative Sentiment: KFC has switched its fountain beverage business from Pepsi to Coca-Cola, representing another major account loss for PepsiCo. The move could reduce restaurant-channel sales and weaken PepsiCo’s turnaround narrative. Coke Wins KFC Beverage Business
• Negative Sentiment: The KFC loss is described as PepsiCo’s third significant customer setback this year. The reports also say PepsiCo may be more exposed than Coca-Cola to GLP-1-related changes in eating habits, adding pressure to snack demand and the broader recovery strategy. PepsiCo Faces Another Setback from Coca-Cola

PepsiCo Trading Up 1.6%

The firm has a market capitalization of $182.02 billion, a PE ratio of 16.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $134.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $142.15.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $25.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.95 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 53.08% and a net margin of 11.09%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.29 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PepsiCo

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in PEP. Banque Pictet & Cie SA increased its position in shares of PepsiCo by 14.1% in the 3rd quarter. Banque Pictet & Cie SA now owns 174,844 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,156,000 after acquiring an additional 21,663 shares during the period. Rise Advisors LLC increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 17.1% in the 3rd quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 1,852 shares of the company's stock worth $235,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares in the last quarter. James T. Borello RIA purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $131,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 4.1% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 31,761 shares of the company's stock worth $4,025,000 after buying an additional 1,265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 9.2% in the third quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 11,260 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,427,000 after purchasing an additional 945 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Company Profile

PepsiCo, Inc NASDAQ: PEP is a global food and beverage company whose portfolio includes Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker, Tostitos, Fritos, and SodaStream. Its products span carbonated soft drinks, sports and energy beverages, bottled water, juices, convenient foods, snacks, and other packaged food offerings.

The company sells products through retail stores, restaurants, food-service providers, e-commerce platforms, and other distribution channels. PepsiCo serves consumers in North America and international markets across Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

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