Legal & General Group Plc Takes Position in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 8,864,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,200,274,000. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.65% of PepsiCo as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evergreen Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Atlatl Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at PepsiCo

In related news, EVP David Flavell sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.54, for a total value of $404,666.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 74,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,441,080.50. This trade represents a 3.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on PEP shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Friday. Evercore set a $150.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $180.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $157.90.

Key PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted PepsiCo as a defensive large-cap opportunity, citing its roughly 4% dividend yield and the potential benefit of lower oil prices. Cheaper fuel could support consumer spending and reduce transportation and operating costs. Jim Cramer Shares Why PepsiCo Caught His Eye During Consumer Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Investors remain attracted to PepsiCo’s 54-year record of consecutive dividend increases and comparatively reasonable valuation. Improving international results could help offset continuing weakness in North America, supporting the case for income-oriented investors. Most Investors Overlook This. I’m Buying PepsiCo for Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is pursuing growth beyond its traditional snack portfolio by introducing and emphasizing global flavors, a strategy that could broaden consumer appeal and create new avenues for international growth. PepsiCo Bets on Global Flavors to Grow Beyond Snacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary describing consumer staples as a lagging sector frames PepsiCo as a value opportunity rather than a near-term growth leader. The investment appeal depends on the stock’s discounted valuation, dividend support and execution on its recovery plans. The Consumer Staples Sector Is Lagging the S&P 500
• Negative Sentiment: Texas authorities are investigating PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz over claims involving avocado oil. The outcome and scope of the investigation are unclear, but regulatory scrutiny could create legal, reputational or product-related costs. PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz Under Investigation in Texas Over Avocado Oil Claims
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts note that PepsiCo’s dividend faces pressure from slower growth, persistent North American weakness and a more difficult recovery than the commodity-driven risks facing Chevron. This raises questions about future payout growth, despite the company’s long dividend history. Chevron or PepsiCo: Whose Dividend Is Standing on Thinner Ice?

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PepsiCo stock opened at $141.07 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $192.55 billion, a PE ratio of 18.49, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.35. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $139.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.93. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $133.73 and a 52 week high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 9th. The company reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $24.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.95 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.78% and a return on equity of 54.63%. PepsiCo’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.92 earnings per share. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.57 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $1.48 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 77.59%.

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.