Versor Investments LP Takes Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Versor Investments LP bought a new stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 4,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $684,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Collier Financial acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the third quarter worth about $31,000. 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 purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Trading Up 1.0 %

NASDAQ PEP opened at $153.47 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $141.51 and a 52 week high of $183.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $210.48 billion, a PE ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.54. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $148.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $161.60.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.43% and a return on equity of 58.87%. The company had revenue of $27.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $27.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.78 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a dividend of $1.355 per share. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.53%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $184.00 to $178.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $158.00 to $153.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. HSBC reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $183.00 to $165.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $171.47.

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.