PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Purchased by Cox Capital Mgt LLC

Cox Capital Mgt LLC grew its position in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 386.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 10,805 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,582 shares during the quarter. Cox Capital Mgt LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $1,835,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the third quarter worth about $27,000. West Tower Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the second quarter worth about $36,000. VitalStone Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the second quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Pacific Center for Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the first quarter worth about $47,000. 71.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PepsiCo stock traded down $0.43 on Friday, reaching $172.02. 4,106,443 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,023,385. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.85. The company’s 50-day moving average is $167.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.12. The firm has a market cap of $236.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.53. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1-year low of $155.83 and a 1-year high of $196.88.

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

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a $1.265 dividend. This represents a $5.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 77.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on PEP shares. 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 report on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Monday, February 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on PepsiCo from $181.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Barclays increased their price target on PepsiCo from $179.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded PepsiCo from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $185.00 to $176.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 19th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $187.77.

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.