L2 Asset Management LLC Invests $4.30 Million in PepsiCo, Inc. $PEP

L2 Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 31,789 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,304,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in PepsiCo by 2.1% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 118,281,854 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,015,363,000 after acquiring an additional 2,440,377 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,499,819 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,356,155,000 after acquiring an additional 1,079,970 shares during the last quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 14,857.8% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 49,252,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,068,777,000 after purchasing an additional 48,923,629 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 33,617,937 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,814,835,000 after purchasing an additional 360,936 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in PepsiCo by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 28,090,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,031,646,000 after purchasing an additional 295,955 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted PepsiCo as a defensive large-cap opportunity, citing its roughly 4% dividend yield and the potential benefit of lower oil prices. Cheaper fuel could support consumer spending and reduce transportation and operating costs. Jim Cramer Shares Why PepsiCo Caught His Eye During Consumer Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Investors remain attracted to PepsiCo’s 54-year record of consecutive dividend increases and comparatively reasonable valuation. Improving international results could help offset continuing weakness in North America, supporting the case for income-oriented investors. Most Investors Overlook This. I’m Buying PepsiCo for Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo is pursuing growth beyond its traditional snack portfolio by introducing and emphasizing global flavors, a strategy that could broaden consumer appeal and create new avenues for international growth. PepsiCo Bets on Global Flavors to Grow Beyond Snacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary describing consumer staples as a lagging sector frames PepsiCo as a value opportunity rather than a near-term growth leader. The investment appeal depends on the stock’s discounted valuation, dividend support and execution on its recovery plans. The Consumer Staples Sector Is Lagging the S&P 500
• Negative Sentiment: Texas authorities are investigating PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz over claims involving avocado oil. The outcome and scope of the investigation are unclear, but regulatory scrutiny could create legal, reputational or product-related costs. PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz Under Investigation in Texas Over Avocado Oil Claims
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts note that PepsiCo’s dividend faces pressure from slower growth, persistent North American weakness and a more difficult recovery than the commodity-driven risks facing Chevron. This raises questions about future payout growth, despite the company’s long dividend history. Chevron or PepsiCo: Whose Dividend Is Standing on Thinner Ice?

PepsiCo Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $141.07 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $139.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $149.51. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12 month low of $133.73 and a 12 month high of $171.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $192.55 billion, a PE ratio of 18.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.35.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 9th. The company reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.01. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.78% and a return on equity of 54.63%. The firm had revenue of $24.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.92 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. PepsiCo has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-8.710 EPS. Equities analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.57 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be given a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 77.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on PEP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $155.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Evercore set a $150.00 target price on PepsiCo in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $138.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Bank of America dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $173.00 to $164.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $157.90.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Flavell sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.54, for a total value of $404,666.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 74,825 shares in the company, valued at $10,441,080.50. This represents a 3.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

PepsiCo Company Profile

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.