Baillie Gifford & Co. Reduces Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Baillie Gifford & Co. cut its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 662,564 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,442 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $93,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Three Bridge Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in PepsiCo by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Three Bridge Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $544,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. JSF Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 3.8% during the second quarter. JSF Financial LLC now owns 1,897 shares of the company’s stock valued at $250,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Facet Wealth Inc. grew its position in shares of PepsiCo by 3.2% during the third quarter. Facet Wealth Inc. now owns 2,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Hudock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hudock Inc. now owns 7,079 shares of the company’s stock worth $994,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, Binnacle Investments Inc lifted its position in PepsiCo by 33.2% in the 2nd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 285 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded PEP to Overweight after PepsiCo outlined initiatives to boost shareholder returns (capital allocation and buyback/dividend focus). That analyst backing can lift sentiment and reduce perceived execution risk. PepsiCo (PEP) Upgraded to Overweight by JPMorgan
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is doubling down on zero‑sugar products (Pepsi Zero Sugar) to win younger consumers who shun “diet” labels — a strategic repositioning that can protect soda volumes and margins over time as tastes shift. PepsiCo Bets on Zero Sugar
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo India named Savitha Balachandran (formerly of Tata Technologies) as its new CFO — strengthens regional leadership but is unlikely to move global results materially in the near term. PepsiCo India brings in Tata Tech’s Savitha Balachandran as new CFO
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/industry pieces compare PepsiCo’s scale and diversification versus niche competitors (e.g., Vita Coco) and versus Coca‑Cola; these help frame long‑term positioning but don’t contain immediate catalysts. PepsiCo vs. Vita Coco: Which Beverage Stock Offers Better Growth? Coca‑Cola vs. PepsiCo: What’s the Better Long‑Term Play?
• Negative Sentiment: Coca‑Cola reclaimed all 625 U.S. Costco food courts after Pepsi’s 12‑year partnership ended — a material distribution loss in a high‑volume channel that could pressure beverage volumes and incremental sales. Coke reclaims all 625 US Costco food courts
• Negative Sentiment: Headline market coverage notes PEP underperformed peers and the broader market (including pieces reporting the stock “sank” while the market gained) — short‑term weakness reflecting rotation and competitive concerns. PepsiCo Inc. stock underperforms PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Sinks As Market Gains

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PEP stock opened at $144.58 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $145.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $145.04. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $160.15. The stock has a market cap of $197.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.49, a P/E/G ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.91.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 108.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Barclays set a $148.00 target price on PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, January 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $172.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $159.29.

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.