HF Advisory Group LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

HF Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP - Free Report) by 419.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,328 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 9,956 shares during the period. HF Advisory Group LLC's holdings in PepsiCo were worth $1,874,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of PepsiCo by 16.2% during the fourth quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,641 shares of the company's stock worth $1,162,000 after acquiring an additional 1,068 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in PepsiCo by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 102,047 shares of the company's stock worth $15,517,000 after purchasing an additional 1,617 shares during the period. Financial & Tax Architects LLC increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC now owns 38,417 shares of the company's stock worth $5,842,000 after purchasing an additional 4,309 shares in the last quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. lifted its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 17,247 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,623,000 after purchasing an additional 1,177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Verity & Verity LLC boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Verity & Verity LLC now owns 64,412 shares of the company's stock worth $9,794,000 after buying an additional 3,028 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on PEP. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised PepsiCo from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $179.00 to $184.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. TD Cowen reduced 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. Redburn Atlantic raised PepsiCo to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on PepsiCo from $183.00 to $158.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $178.60.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of PEP traded up $1.71 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $148.25. 7,213,692 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,895,834. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $155.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $165.86. The stock has a market cap of $203.40 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.54. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12 month low of $141.51 and a 12 month high of $183.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 6th. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.66%. PepsiCo's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.94%.

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.