Smith Thornton Advisors LLC Lowers Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Smith Thornton Advisors LLC decreased its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 9.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,854 shares of the company’s stock after selling 190 shares during the period. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the third quarter worth $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 93.2% in the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on PEP shares. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of PepsiCo to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on PepsiCo from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 30th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on PepsiCo from $183.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on PepsiCo from $185.00 to $183.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut PepsiCo from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $185.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Friday, September 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine 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 an average price target of $180.64.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $144.78 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $156.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $166.20. The company has a market cap of $198.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.35, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.70. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $141.51 and a one year high of $183.41.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 6th were given a dividend of $1.355 per share. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 6th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is 79.94%.

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.