PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Raised to Hold at Sanford C. Bernstein

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) was upgraded by stock analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on PEP. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price objective on PepsiCo from $191.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. TD Cowen cut their price target on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $150.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Evercore boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $170.00 in a report on Friday, April 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $169.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $167.35.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP stock opened at $144.27 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $151.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $152.37. The stock has a market cap of $197.18 billion, a PE ratio of 22.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.35. PepsiCo has a 1 year low of $127.60 and a 1 year high of $171.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.90.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 15th. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.89 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 56.61% and a net margin of 9.15%.PepsiCo’s revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.48 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that PepsiCo will post 8.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo continues to expand its autonomous freight network with Gatik, a move that could improve logistics efficiency and help address staffing challenges in hard-to-serve routes. How PepsiCo’s Driverless Freight Rollout With Gatik (PEP) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: The company also highlighted sustainability-focused farmer financing through Compeer Financial, which supports PepsiCo’s supply chain and long-term agricultural sourcing strategy. Compeer Financial Collaborates with PepsiCo to Provide Strip-Till Equipment Financing
• Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo was included in a Q1 review of beverage, alcohol, and tobacco stocks, but the article was primarily a peer comparison and did not indicate a major new catalyst. Beverages, Alcohol, and Tobacco Stocks Q1 In Review: PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Vs Peers
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate changes were modest, with Erste Group trimming FY2027 EPS slightly to $9.14 from $9.15, suggesting limited impact on the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target on PepsiCo to $150 from $165 and kept a hold rating, signaling more cautious near-term sentiment on the stock. TD Cowen adjusts PepsiCo price target to 150 from 165
• Negative Sentiment: Piper Sandler also lowered its price target on PepsiCo to $178 from $181, reinforcing the view that analysts see only limited upside from here. Piper Sandler adjusts price target on PepsiCo to 178 from 181

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.