PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Sold by Ledyard National Bank

Ledyard National Bank trimmed its holdings in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 3.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,524 shares of the company’s stock after selling 696 shares during the quarter. Ledyard National Bank’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $3,656,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of PEP. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 80.5% during the 4th quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Life Planning Partners Inc purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Criterion Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Avion Wealth increased its stake in PepsiCo by 61.7% during the fourth quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 241 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

NASDAQ:PEP traded up $0.56 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $176.14. The stock had a trading volume of 3,224,217 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,823,218. The stock has a market cap of $242.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $155.83 and a 12-month high of $196.88. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $169.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $168.05.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $18.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.08 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.37% and a net margin of 10.00%. PepsiCo’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.16 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st were paid a dividend of $1.265 per share. This represents a $5.06 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.87%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 76.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of PepsiCo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $180.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, February 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on PepsiCo from $181.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 18th. Argus lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.42.

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.