Ellsworth Advisors LLC Acquires 200 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Ellsworth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 11,968 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Ellsworth Advisors LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,033,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. West Tower Group LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the second quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the first quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP traded up $1.44 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $175.01. 5,710,410 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,942,093. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $168.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $167.99. The stock has a market cap of $240.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.53. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $155.83 and a one year high of $196.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.06. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 58.03%. The firm had revenue of $27.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be paid a $1.265 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $5.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.89%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 77.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PEP shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $179.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $181.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.77.

About PepsiCo

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.