Taurus Asset Management LLC Reduces Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Taurus Asset Management LLC lessened its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 37,639 shares of the company’s stock after selling 644 shares during the quarter. Taurus Asset Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $5,723,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP stock opened at $144.43 on Friday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12 month low of $138.33 and a 12 month high of $183.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. The company has a market cap of $198.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.78, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.49. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $148.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $155.78.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $27.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $27.89 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th were given a $1.355 dividend. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.75%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 77.99%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. They issued a $172.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on PepsiCo from $185.00 to $168.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. BNP Paribas dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $162.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. StockNews.com lowered PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $184.00 to $178.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $169.88.

About PepsiCo

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.