PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Upgraded to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Monday.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on PEP. Bank of America reduced their price objective on PepsiCo from $210.00 to $190.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 8th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on PepsiCo from $184.00 to $182.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 12th. DZ Bank cut PepsiCo from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $183.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a neutral rating and a $174.00 target price on the stock. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $185.53.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of PEP stock opened at $171.42 on Monday. PepsiCo has a 1-year low of $155.83 and a 1-year high of $184.86. The company has a market cap of $235.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $168.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $170.42.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 11th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.12. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.37% and a net margin of 10.34%. The company had revenue of $22.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.09 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that PepsiCo will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a $1.355 dividend. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 78.66%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in PepsiCo by 77.5% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. POM Investment Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 141.3% in the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 181 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the first quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Company 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.