PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Upgraded at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $184.00 price objective on the stock, up from their prior price objective of $179.00.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on PepsiCo from $177.00 to $176.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 4th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $185.00 to $183.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded PepsiCo to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $184.31.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP opened at $157.97 on Thursday. PepsiCo has a 52-week low of $155.85 and a 52-week high of $183.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $216.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.89. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $165.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $168.96.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 8th. The company reported $2.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.01. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.32% and a net margin of 10.18%. The company had revenue of $23.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.86 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. PepsiCo’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that PepsiCo will post 8.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.355 per share. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.94%.

Institutional Trading of PepsiCo

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its stake in PepsiCo by 59.0% in the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 159 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 141.3% in the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 181 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the second quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

About PepsiCo

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.