Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI Grows Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI raised its position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 14.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 120,937 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,523 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo accounts for approximately 0.8% of Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $20,540,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of PEP. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA grew its stake in PepsiCo by 80.5% during the 4th quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Life Planning Partners Inc bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Naples Money Management LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Criterion Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Avion Wealth raised its stake in PepsiCo by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

PEP traded up $1.86 on Friday, hitting $174.13. 6,636,697 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,502,704. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $155.83 and a 52 week high of $196.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $239.34 billion, a PE ratio of 26.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $168.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $167.45.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $27.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.40 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.03% and a net margin of 9.92%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.67 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st were given a $1.265 dividend. This represents a $5.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 77.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PEP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Argus downgraded PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Barclays lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $183.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 12th. Citigroup upgraded PepsiCo from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $180.00 to $195.00 in a report on Monday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on PepsiCo from $199.00 to $209.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $186.92.

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.