Farmers Trust Co. Boosts Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Farmers Trust Co. grew its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 51,197 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the period. PepsiCo comprises 1.5% of Farmers Trust Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Farmers Trust Co.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $7,785,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its position in PepsiCo by 59.0% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 93.2% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP traded up $0.84 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $146.24. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,737,746 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,114,529. The company has a market capitalization of $200.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.54. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $158.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $166.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.70. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $144.56 and a 52 week high of $183.41.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 8th. The company reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.01. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.32% and a net margin of 10.18%. The firm had revenue of $23.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.86 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.15 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 6th were paid a dividend of $1.355 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 6th. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.71%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on PEP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $179.00 to $184.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $171.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $177.00 to $176.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 4th. Barclays decreased their target price on PepsiCo from $186.00 to $183.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on PepsiCo from $170.00 to $155.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $180.64.

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.