PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Price Target Raised to $178.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) had its price objective increased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $172.00 to $178.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $172.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $169.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $154.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $170.05.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of PEP stock opened at $157.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $215.53 billion, a PE ratio of 24.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.40. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $159.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $151.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. PepsiCo has a twelve month low of $127.60 and a twelve month high of $171.48.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. PepsiCo had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 56.61%. The business had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.48 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.465-8.628 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 94.83%.

PepsiCo announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 3rd that allows the company to buyback $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of PepsiCo

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PEP. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 12.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 59,392 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,031,000 after acquiring an additional 6,574 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 1st quarter worth about $251,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 138.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $862,000 after acquiring an additional 3,790 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 10.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 38,164 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,039,000 after acquiring an additional 3,502 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 45.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 536,133 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,789,000 after acquiring an additional 167,707 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and volume recovery — PepsiCo reported Q1 revenue of $19.44B and EPS of $1.61 (above consensus). Management said recent price cuts on snacks helped revive U.S. food volumes, supporting top-line momentum. PepsiCo tops quarterly revenue estimates as price cuts drive demand
• Positive Sentiment: Broker support rising — Several major banks raised price targets and kept bullish ratings after the quarter (examples: Goldman to $183, BNP Paribas to $195, JPMorgan to $178, Deutsche to $173), giving the stock additional analyst-driven upside. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on PepsiCo
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and innovation initiatives — Management highlighted a Gatorade overhaul and new product push (including energy and hydration innovations) as part of a broader “hungry and thirsty for growth” strategy that could sustain the recovery. PepsiCo Q1 earnings beat: CEO talks Gatorade overhaul & more
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary mixed — While many firms raised targets, some analysts struck cautionary notes on margins and consumer trends; expect divergent views to continue driving intraday volatility. What analysts are saying about PepsiCo after its earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and revenue outlook under the microscope — FY‑2026 EPS and revenue ranges were viewed as modest versus some consensus math (company-provided EPS range ~8.465–8.628 and revenue guidance slightly below some estimates), which trimmed some upside despite the beat. PepsiCo Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q1 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational/legal hit from Doritos controversy — Coverage notes past controversy cost the company materially; any renewed consumer backlash or litigation headlines could pressure sentiment. PepsiCo Lost Billions Amid a Doritos Controversy

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ: PEP) is a multinational food and beverage company headquartered in Purchase, New York. The company develops, manufactures, markets and sells a broad portfolio of branded food and beverage products, including carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, salty snacks, cereals, and other convenient foods. Its leading consumer brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, Quaker, Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, among others.

Formed through the 1965 merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay, PepsiCo has grown into a global business with integrated manufacturing, distribution and marketing operations.