ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC Invests $758,000 in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 5,397 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $758,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the third quarter valued at $872,000. Kathmere Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in PepsiCo by 122.6% in the 3rd quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 20,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,860,000 after purchasing an additional 11,217 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 11.7% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 12,659,046 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,671,500,000 after purchasing an additional 1,330,888 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd lifted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 19.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 252,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,451,000 after purchasing an additional 40,947 shares during the period. Finally, Townsquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 96.5% during the 3rd quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 40,383 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,671,000 after purchasing an additional 19,829 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $156.50 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $127.60 and a 12-month high of $171.48. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $157.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $149.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $213.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.39.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.The company had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 94.83%.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Settlement with activist investor Elliott Management — PepsiCo reached a deal with Elliott (which holds a large stake) to pursue expense cuts, portfolio rationalization and potential leadership changes, a development investors often view as supportive of near‑term shareholder value and operational focus. PepsiCo Activist Deal And Good Warrior Launch Refocus Growth Priorities
• Positive Sentiment: New product expansion — PepsiCo launched the Good Warrior meat‑stick brand, entering a fast‑growing, higher‑margin protein-snack category. This expands addressable market and supports growth/innovation narrative. PepsiCo Enters Booming Meat-Stick Space With Good Warrior
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/sector support — commentator pieces highlight PepsiCo as a reliable dividend and defensive consumer staple, which can support the stock versus cyclicals during volatile markets. These Dividend Monsters Continue to Outshine the Market: PEP, HSY
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 results timing set — PepsiCo announced it will report first-quarter 2026 results on April 16; investors will await details on organic growth, margins and any updated guidance. PepsiCo Announces Timing and Availability of First-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing buzz — Pepsi released a special limited Pepsi flavor and other campaign activity (including new Gen Z faces in India). These create consumer engagement but have limited near‑term revenue impact. Special new Pepsi flavor is out but you can’t get it in stores
• Neutral Sentiment: Puerto Rico SNAP bill mentioned — legislation to transition Puerto Rico to SNAP could eventually raise local consumer purchasing power and beverage/snack demand, but implementation is long-timed and uncertain. New Bill: Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act
• Negative Sentiment: Loss of NBA sponsorship for Starry — Coca‑Cola’s Sprite has taken back NBA sponsorship from PepsiCo’s Starry, reducing a high‑visibility marketing channel for PepsiCo’s challenger soda brand. That is a near‑term negative for brand reach and Starry momentum. Coke’s Sprite Takes Back NBA Sponsorship From PepsiCo’s Starry
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder/ legal scrutiny — a law firm has launched an investigation into possible fiduciary breaches by PepsiCo’s board related to an antitrust suit; governance and litigation risk can pressure sentiment. SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Lowey Dannenberg Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term price pressure reported — recent market coverage notes PEP shares pulled back amid a broader market uptick, signaling profit‑taking or headline‑driven selling despite the constructive activist agreement. PepsiCo (PEP) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on PEP shares. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. TD Cowen upped their target price on PepsiCo from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on PepsiCo from $163.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on PepsiCo from $164.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $169.00.

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.