PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Up 0.5% – Time to Buy?

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) was up 0.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $143.56 and last traded at $143.39. Approximately 1,632,274 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 6,420,833 shares. The stock had previously closed at $142.64.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PEP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley downgraded 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. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 30th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $177.00 to $176.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $179.00 to $184.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $180.64.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.89. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $157.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $166.50. The stock has a market cap of $198.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.54.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 6th were given 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 was Friday, December 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.94%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PepsiCo

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its stake in PepsiCo by 59.0% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 159 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the second quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in PepsiCo by 93.2% during the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. 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.