Country Trust Bank Reduces Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Country Trust Bank cut its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 9.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 166,425 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,712 shares during the period. Country Trust Bank’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $23,885,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in PepsiCo by 667.7% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets are featuring PepsiCo as a steady, income-oriented idea in 2026, highlighting steady cash flow and defensive qualities that can support the stock over time. Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Altria, Verizon Communications and PepsiCo
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo completed a small disposal of a New Jersey warehouse for $4.7M, a modest but positive cash/inventory cleanup move that trims non-core real estate. PepsiCo sells NJ warehouse to family-owned fire protection firm in $4.7M deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces (e.g., 247WallStreet) are revisiting PepsiCo’s turnaround narrative — noting progress on revenue/organic growth and arguing the stock may be attractive after 2025 volatility. This supports a longer-term constructive view. Is the Pepsico Turnaround Story Finally Worth Buying?
• Neutral Sentiment: News about Varun Beverages (a PepsiCo bottler) going ex-dividend is being reported — it affects the regional bottling group and local shareholder returns but is not a direct corporate catalyst for PEP. Varun Beverages Dividend: Shares of PepsiCo bottler to trade ex-date soon for final dividend, check amount
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro commentary (BCA Research) urges caution and not adding risk as energy/geo risks alter market tone — a background factor that keeps defensive names like PepsiCo in focus but can compress broader multiples. Here’s why you shouldn’t add risk to your portfolio, according to BCA
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo withdrew/dropped sponsorship of a U.K. music festival headlined by Kanye West after the booking, generating negative headlines and short-term reputational/marketing uncertainty that likely pressured the stock today. Multiple outlets covered the pullback. PepsiCo, Diageo Drop Sponsorship of Kanye West-Headlined U.K. Music Festival
• Negative Sentiment: Sector dynamics: Coca‑Cola’s shift from pricing-led growth toward volume recovery highlights affordability pressure in beverages — a sign the category may face demand sensitivity if consumers push back on price, which is a headwind for PepsiCo’s near-term volumes/mix. Can Coca-Cola Balance Pricing, Affordability in Soft Macro Backdrop?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on PEP. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $176.00 to $169.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $163.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $169.00.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of PepsiCo stock opened at $156.73 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $160.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $150.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52-week low of $127.60 and a 52-week high of $171.48. The company has a market cap of $214.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.12, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.40.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.77% and a return on equity of 57.92%. The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a $1.4225 dividend. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 94.83%.

PepsiCo announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

PepsiCo Company 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.