Lountzis Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Lountzis Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 38,509 shares of the company’s stock after selling 562 shares during the period. PepsiCo comprises approximately 2.5% of Lountzis Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Lountzis Asset Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $5,908,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AMF Tjanstepension AB grew its position in shares of PepsiCo by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 293,824 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,016,000 after buying an additional 40,031 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB grew its holdings in PepsiCo by 211.4% during the 3rd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 2,345,467 shares of the company’s stock worth $398,847,000 after acquiring an additional 1,592,343 shares in the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC increased its position in PepsiCo by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 4,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $777,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 207,970 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,365,000 after purchasing an additional 6,334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $85,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $145.81 on Thursday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $141.51 and a 52 week high of $183.41. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $149.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $162.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. The firm has a market cap of $199.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.54.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $27.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.78 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.34 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.355 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.72%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 77.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on PEP. Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. They issued a $172.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on PepsiCo from $183.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $185.00 to $168.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $171.47.

PepsiCo 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.