PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-one brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $165.2778.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on PEP. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 27th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Wednesday. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on PepsiCo from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PEP. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 7,234 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,038,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Moneco Advisors LLC increased its position in PepsiCo by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. Moneco Advisors LLC now owns 13,878 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,992,000 after buying an additional 854 shares in the last quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC raised its stake in PepsiCo by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC now owns 26,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,781,000 after buying an additional 611 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC MO bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $253,000. Finally, Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $721,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $166.18 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $146.83 and its 200 day moving average is $145.95. The company has a market cap of $227.22 billion, a PE ratio of 27.70, a P/E/G ratio of 5.35 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.72. PepsiCo has a 1 year low of $127.60 and a 1 year high of $167.94.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.96 EPS. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $1.4225 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 108.17%.

PepsiCo declared that its Board of Directors 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 repurchase up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Key PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations and management reiterated FY‑2026 guidance — revenue and adjusted EPS topped estimates, driven by international soda strength and improving beverage momentum. This beat is the primary fundamental catalyst supporting the rally. PepsiCo tops quarterly revenue estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Board authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program (≈4.7% of shares outstanding), signaling management believes shares are undervalued and providing buyback-driven EPS support. RTT News on buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raised — board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.4225 per share, a 5% increase year-over-year, reinforcing income appeal for dividend investors. PepsiCo Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Several sell‑side firms raised price targets (JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, TD Cowen, Barclays among others), which can support momentum and attract allocation flows. Analyst price-target moves
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo will cut suggested retail prices on major snacks (Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos) by as much as 15% to boost affordability and volume ahead of big consumption events — a deliberate trade of price for share/volume that could help demand but pressures near-term margins. After Years of Increases, PepsiCo Pledges to Cut Prices on Snacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic initiatives (tests to integrate beverage/snack distribution, trimming SKUs ~20%, refocusing top brands) aim to lift margins and execution — positive long-term if executed, but results are still early. MarketBeat strategic summary
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish/critical takes argue the rally is multiple expansion rather than improving volumes — price-led growth in Q4 and the new price cuts raise execution risk and could compress margins; some analysts/voices label the setup risky for new buyers. Seeking Alpha — Strong Sell
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/structural headwinds to snack volumes (e.g., consumer affordability pressures, GLP‑1–related demand shifts cited by commentators) remain a watch item; management is banking on price cuts and product focus to recover volumes. Jim Cramer commentary

About PepsiCo

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.