Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC Boosts Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 2.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 184,575 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,618 shares during the quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $26,490,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JCIC Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Strategic Advocates LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its position in PepsiCo by 667.7% during the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 207 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Key PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and volume recovery — PepsiCo reported Q1 revenue of $19.44B and EPS of $1.61 (above consensus). Management said recent price cuts on snacks helped revive U.S. food volumes, supporting top-line momentum. PepsiCo tops quarterly revenue estimates as price cuts drive demand
• Positive Sentiment: Broker support rising — Several major banks raised price targets and kept bullish ratings after the quarter (examples: Goldman to $183, BNP Paribas to $195, JPMorgan to $178, Deutsche to $173), giving the stock additional analyst-driven upside. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on PepsiCo
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and innovation initiatives — Management highlighted a Gatorade overhaul and new product push (including energy and hydration innovations) as part of a broader “hungry and thirsty for growth” strategy that could sustain the recovery. PepsiCo Q1 earnings beat: CEO talks Gatorade overhaul & more
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary mixed — While many firms raised targets, some analysts struck cautionary notes on margins and consumer trends; expect divergent views to continue driving intraday volatility. What analysts are saying about PepsiCo after its earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and revenue outlook under the microscope — FY‑2026 EPS and revenue ranges were viewed as modest versus some consensus math (company-provided EPS range ~8.465–8.628 and revenue guidance slightly below some estimates), which trimmed some upside despite the beat. PepsiCo Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q1 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational/legal hit from Doritos controversy — Coverage notes past controversy cost the company materially; any renewed consumer backlash or litigation headlines could pressure sentiment. PepsiCo Lost Billions Amid a Doritos Controversy

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PEP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Argus raised PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $160.00 to $154.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $170.05.

PepsiCo Trading Down 0.4%

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $157.67 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $159.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $151.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $215.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.75, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.90. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1 year low of $127.60 and a 1 year high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 56.61% and a net margin of 9.15%.PepsiCo’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.48 earnings per share. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.465-8.628 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

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

PepsiCo declared that its board 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 buy up to 4.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.