West Branch Capital LLC Has $2.53 Million Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

West Branch Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,901 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo accounts for 0.9% of West Branch Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. West Branch Capital LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,534,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 77.5% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 59.0% during the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 159 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 141.3% during the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 181 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the first quarter valued at about $35,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of PEP traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $175.06. 5,097,170 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,492,675. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $158.03 and a 52 week high of $183.41. 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 has a market capitalization of $240.18 billion, a PE ratio of 25.82, a PEG ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $173.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $172.14.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $23.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.25 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 6th were paid a $1.355 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 6th. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.94%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on PepsiCo in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on PepsiCo from $185.00 to $183.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Barclays reduced their price objective on PepsiCo from $186.00 to $183.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on PepsiCo from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $183.92.

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.