PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Acquired by WCM Investment Management LLC

WCM Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 147.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,692 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,759 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,229,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of PepsiCo by 93.2% during the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of PEP opened at $144.35 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $151.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $164.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.70. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $141.51 and a 1-year high of $183.41. The stock has a market cap of $197.98 billion, a PE ratio of 20.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.54.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The company had revenue of $27.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $27.89 billion. The firm’s revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.78 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.34 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 yield of 3.75%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on PEP shares. StockNews.com lowered PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $193.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $180.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $183.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, CICC Research reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $171.47.

PepsiCo Company 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.