M. Kraus & Co Sells 280 Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

M. Kraus & Co cut its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 55,390 shares of the company’s stock after selling 280 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo accounts for about 2.5% of M. Kraus & Co’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. M. Kraus & Co’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $8,423,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of PEP. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its stake in PepsiCo by 93.2% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo Trading Up 0.3 %

NASDAQ PEP opened at $144.95 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12 month low of $141.51 and a 12 month high of $183.41. The company has a market capitalization of $198.87 billion, a PE ratio of 21.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.54. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $156.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $166.20.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 6th were issued a dividend of $1.355 per share. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on PEP shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $179.00 to $184.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $177.00 to $176.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of PepsiCo from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $185.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Friday, September 20th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $186.00 to $183.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $180.64.

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.