PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Acquired by Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Mizuho Securities USA LLC lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 46.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 130,033 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,964 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $19,773,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in PEP. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Human Investing LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Down 1.2 %

PEP opened at $145.45 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $149.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $159.22. The company has a market cap of $199.48 billion, a PE ratio of 20.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.52. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1 year low of $141.51 and a 1 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.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.43% and a return on equity of 58.87%. The company had revenue of $27.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.78 earnings per share. PepsiCo’s revenue for the quarter was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.73%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 77.99%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on PEP shares. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $193.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. StockNews.com lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $183.00 to $165.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $171.00 to $170.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $169.88.

About PepsiCo

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.