Econ Financial Services Corp Takes Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Econ Financial Services Corp bought a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 16,244 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,331,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 667.7% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the third quarter worth $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank kept a Buy rating on PEP and set a $169 target (down from $176), implying near-term upside and providing analyst support for the stock. PepsiCo Could Climb 10% to $169 as Deutsche Bank Rates the Stock a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary is highlighting PepsiCo as a defensive “shield” during volatility — media pieces (Yahoo, Zacks) cite its stable snack/beverage portfolio and outperformance vs. the S&P YTD, which can support investor demand. Seeking Shields from Volatility? 2 Stocks Worth a Look
• Neutral Sentiment: McCormick’s deal for Unilever’s foods business is a notable industry consolidation that could shift competitive dynamics in packaged foods; the move is industry‑level news rather than a company‑specific catalyst for PepsiCo, but it’s worth monitoring for pricing/market-share effects. McCormick and Unilever’s foods business just announced a spicy merger
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo is set to play a visible role at Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit, which may enhance ESG credibility and investor perception over time but is unlikely to move near‑term fundamentals materially. PepsiCo’s Sustainability Role At 2026 Summit And What It Means For Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media comparisons to Coca‑Cola frame PepsiCo as a dividend/stability play (snacks + international exposure vs. KO’s beverage margins). Useful context for income investors but not a fresh catalyst. PepsiCo vs Coca-Cola: The Better Dividend Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Smaller industry comparisons and company head‑to‑head pieces (e.g., vs. National Beverage) appear but are low impact for PEP’s near‑term price action. Head to Head Review: National Beverage vs. PepsiCo

PepsiCo Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of PEP opened at $155.29 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $159.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $150.33. The company has a market cap of $212.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.88, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.39. 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 twelve month low of $127.60 and a twelve month high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.96 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.77% and a return on equity of 57.92%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.96 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PEP has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Evercore lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $152.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on PepsiCo from $176.00 to $169.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on PepsiCo from $163.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.