PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $157.90.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PEP. UBS Group set a $159.00 price objective on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $180.00 to $160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Monday, July 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $134.00 price target on PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on PepsiCo from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 10th.

PepsiCo Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $131.19 on Friday. PepsiCo has a 1-year low of $127.98 and a 1-year high of $171.48. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $138.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $145.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $179.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

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

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a dividend of $1.48 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 77.59%.

Key PepsiCo News

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is expanding its zero-sugar beverage portfolio through new products, pricing initiatives and broad distribution. The strategy could help the company capture changing consumer preferences and support future sales growth. Can Zero Sugar Drinks Fuel PepsiCo’s Next Growth Phase?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary continues to highlight PepsiCo’s international business, where sales growth and profitability are reportedly outpacing its weaker North American snacks and beverages operations. This offers a potential recovery catalyst that may not be fully reflected in the stock’s valuation. Should You Buy PepsiCo Stock Because Its International Business Keeps Accelerating?
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is being viewed as a beaten-down, recession-resistant dividend stock, while consumer staples have outperformed discretionary shares in 2026. That defensive positioning and the company’s long dividend history could attract income-focused investors. Staples ETF Widens Gap Over Discretionary in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo is among beverage companies exploring paper-based bottles and other packaging alternatives. The move could improve sustainability credentials, although costs, scalability and consumer adoption remain uncertain. Paper drink bottles are cool again
• Negative Sentiment: PepsiCo plans to end manufacturing at a longtime Washington, D.C.-area plant. The closure may reduce capacity and jobs, while also potentially producing longer-term efficiency savings. PepsiCo to End Manufacturing at Longtime D.C. Area Plant
• Negative Sentiment: A class-action lawsuit alleges PepsiCo falsely advertised Siete and Tostitos chips as being made with avocado oil, creating potential legal, reputational and financial risks. PepsiCo Avocado Oil Chips Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Technical analysis identified a break below a key support level and a possible decline toward $127.70, reinforcing concerns about continued weakness. PEP Price Outlook

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Flavell sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 74,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,441,080.50. This trade represents a 3.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Evergreen Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Networth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 2,857.1% during the 1st quarter. Networth Advisors LLC now owns 207 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 99.1% during the 1st quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) is a global food and beverage company headquartered in Purchase, New York. Its portfolio includes carbonated soft drinks, sports drinks, bottled water, juices, ready-to-drink beverages, snack foods and convenient foods. Major brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker and SodaStream.

The company sells products through a broad range of channels, including grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, food-service providers, vending operations and e-commerce platforms.