PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Price Expected to Rise, HSBC Analyst Says

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) had its price objective upped by research analysts at HSBC from $152.00 to $175.00 in a report released on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the stock. HSBC’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 2.65% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price objective on PepsiCo in a report on Wednesday. Loop Capital set a $164.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $156.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $164.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $167.28.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $170.49 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $147.65 and its 200-day moving average is $146.30. PepsiCo has a 1-year low of $127.60 and a 1-year high of $170.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The stock has a market cap of $233.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.40.

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

PepsiCo announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 3rd that authorizes the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 138,483,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,875,205,000 after acquiring an additional 1,612,652 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of PepsiCo by 1.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,499,819 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,356,155,000 after purchasing an additional 1,079,970 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 32,675,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,301,240,000 after purchasing an additional 86,695 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in PepsiCo by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 29,031,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,833,406,000 after purchasing an additional 2,556,163 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,330,594,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations (EPS $2.26 vs. $2.24; revenue roughly $29.3B) and management reiterated FY2026 guidance while reporting margin improvement — a core driver for today’s buying. Pepsi Pops as Investors Take Notice of Key Strategic Initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a $10 billion share repurchase program, supporting EPS and signaling capital-return priority. PepsiCo to Repurchase $10.00 billion in Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages lifted price targets after the strong quarter (UBS to $190, Morgan Stanley $180, JPMorgan $176, HSBC $175), which helps sustain buying interest. UBS Lifts PepsiCo Target JPMorgan Raises Target HSBC Adjusts Target
• Positive Sentiment: Management is cutting prices (up to ~15% on some snacks) and pivoting to “snack affordability” ahead of heavy seasonal demand (Super Bowl), which should boost volumes and retail sales. Guacamole & chip prices and PepsiCo price moves
• Positive Sentiment: Productivity and distribution integration (testing combined beverage/snack logistics) are cited as margin levers — management reported early positive results and operating-margin expansion. Productivity Strategy Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Pepsi is publicly adapting product mixes for health-conscious consumers (functional foods) and watching trends like GLP-1 drug use — outcomes are uncertain but the company is actively responding. How PepsiCo is adapting to GLP-1 use
• Neutral Sentiment: Activist investor interest (Elliott) remains a background catalyst; Pepsi is implementing changes but has said full refranchising isn’t being pursued — keeps outcomes dependent on execution. Elliott stake & catalyst analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Snack price cuts — and earlier consumer backlash over pricing — could pressure near-term gross margins until volume gains offset the lower pricing. PepsiCo to cut some US snack prices

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.