Dorato Capital Management Takes $810,000 Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Dorato Capital Management acquired a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 5,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $810,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PEP. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 554,798 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,916,000 after acquiring an additional 19,218 shares in the last quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at about $872,000. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. lifted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 622.3% in the 4th quarter. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. now owns 35,603 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,110,000 after purchasing an additional 30,674 shares during the period. Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 122.6% during the third quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 20,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,860,000 after purchasing an additional 11,217 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 19.3% during the third quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 252,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,451,000 after buying an additional 40,947 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New product momentum — PepsiCo launched a highly anticipated soda flavor that generated consumer excitement and social buzz, which can support short-term sales and retail velocity. PepsiCo Just Dropped a Highly Anticipated Soda Flavor—and Fans Are ‘Screaming’ With Excitement
• Positive Sentiment: Brand refresh and packaging — PepsiCo began a Tostitos brand refresh with updated packaging, supporting snack category relevance and retail shelf appeal. Product/packaging updates can lift in-store sell-through. PepsiCo Begins Tostitos Brand Refresh, Introduces Updated Packaging
• Positive Sentiment: Deeper event and fandom integration — Initiatives like Pepsi Football Nation and new venue supply deals aim to embed brands in live entertainment, which may boost out-of-home sales and marketing ROI. Is Pepsi Football Nation And New Venue Deals Reshaping the Investment Case For PepsiCo (PEP)?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal and defensive demand — Coverage highlighting PepsiCo as a consistent dividend payer and a defensive consumer-staples play is drawing investor interest amid recession concerns. That helps support valuation in risk-off environments. 3 Consistent Dividend Payers Outperforming in 2026: VZ, PEP, MO
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic/ESG investments — Examples include a UK solar investment for distribution sites; positive for long-term cost and sustainability but not an immediate earnings driver. Behind PepsiCo’s US$4.8m Investment in UK Solar
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing coverage on valuation and earnings cadence — Several pieces revisit PepsiCo’s valuation, historical earnings-beat record and comparisons with Coca‑Cola; useful context but no single story moving fundamentals today. PepsiCo (PEP) Valuation Check After Mixed Short And Long Term Shareholder Returns
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target trim — Deutsche Bank lowered its price target on PEP (from $176 to $169) citing “mounting industry pressures,” though it kept a Buy rating. That introduces some moderation to upside expectations and may cap near-term gains. Deutsche Bank Sees Mounting Industry Pressures, Trims PepsiCo (PEP) Target

PepsiCo Stock Up 1.5%

PepsiCo stock opened at $157.01 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $127.60 and a 1-year high of $171.48. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $159.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $150.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $214.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.17, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.40.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $28.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a $1.4225 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. HSBC upped their target price on PepsiCo from $152.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $191.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on PepsiCo from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Evercore boosted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $152.00 to $165.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $169.00.

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.