Franklin Resources Inc. Raises Stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 5.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 13,748,403 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 727,087 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo makes up approximately 0.6% of Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,090,582,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of PEP. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PepsiCo stock opened at $149.27 on Monday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $141.51 and a one year high of $183.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.82. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $149.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $157.91. The company has a market cap of $204.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.48, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.52.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $27.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $27.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be given a $1.355 dividend. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is 77.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on PepsiCo from $180.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $185.00 to $168.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. HSBC reduced their target price on PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $183.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $169.88.

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.