Bridgewater Advisors Inc. Invests $1.06 Million in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Bridgewater Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 7,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,059,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Elite Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Up 0.2%

PEP opened at $135.57 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.13. The firm has a market cap of $185.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.94, a PEG ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 0.45. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $180.91. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $131.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $141.38.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.01). PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 58.28%. The business had revenue of $17.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. PepsiCo’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 6th were given a dividend of $1.4225 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 6th. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.20%. This is a positive change from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.36. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 83.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on PEP shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $168.00 to $153.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Dbs Bank cut shares of PepsiCo from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $150.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $148.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $158.19.

PepsiCo Profile

PepsiCo, Inc engages in the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of various beverages and convenient foods worldwide. The company operates through seven segments: Frito-Lay North America; Quaker Foods North America; PepsiCo Beverages North America; Latin America; Europe; Africa, Middle East and South Asia; and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and China Region.