Ramkumar Krishnan Sells 16,827 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Rating) CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 16,827 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.70, for a total value of $2,906,022.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 49,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,462,300. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PepsiCo stock opened at $172.03 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.61. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $153.48 and a 1-year high of $186.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $236.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.53. The company’s 50-day moving average is $174.09 and its 200 day moving average is $175.52.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.03. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 51.34%. The company had revenue of $28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.53 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 7.23 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 2nd. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.76%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PEP has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $197.00 to $187.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 13th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Thursday, February 16th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $198.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $184.08.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PepsiCo

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Clear Investment Research LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Paragon Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 125.7% during the fourth quarter. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, Red Tortoise LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 70.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Company Profile

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PepsiCo, Inc engages in the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of beverages, food, and snacks. It operates through the following business segments: Frito-Lay North America (FLNA), Quaker Foods North America (QFNA), PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), Latin America (LatAm), Europe, Africa, Middle East, and South Asia (AMESA), and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, and China Region (APAC).