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

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at HSBC from $175.00 to $176.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the stock. HSBC’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 11.63% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Wall Street Zen upgraded PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Argus upgraded PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on PepsiCo from $176.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on PepsiCo from $190.00 to $186.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Eight equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $170.05.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $157.67 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $159.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $151.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $215.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.75, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.40. PepsiCo has a 1 year low of $127.60 and a 1 year high of $171.48. 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 (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 56.61%. The firm had revenue of $19.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.48 earnings per share. PepsiCo’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.465-8.628 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 3rd that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PEP. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 14,857.8% in the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 49,252,907 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,068,777,000 after acquiring an additional 48,923,629 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth about $3,018,813,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 120.7% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,916,417 shares of the company’s stock worth $830,902,000 after acquiring an additional 3,235,726 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 30.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 8,641,588 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,207,230,000 after acquiring an additional 1,995,362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,612,652 shares during the last quarter. 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

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.