PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Sold Off Sen. Tina Smith

Senator Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) recently sold shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP). In a filing disclosed on March 19th, the Senator disclosed that they had sold between $100,001 and $250,000 in PepsiCo stock on February 11th.

Senator Tina Smith also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $100,001 – $250,000 in shares of General Mills (NYSE:GIS) on 2/11/2025.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

NASDAQ:PEP opened at $147.15 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $148.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $159.41. PepsiCo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $141.51 and a fifty-two week high of $183.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $201.82 billion, a PE ratio of 21.17, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.52. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. The company had revenue of $27.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $27.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.78 EPS. PepsiCo’s revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a $1.355 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $5.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.68%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 77.99%.

Institutional Trading of PepsiCo

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PEP. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the topic of a number of research reports. HSBC decreased their price objective on PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Barclays lowered shares of PepsiCo from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $168.00 to $156.00 in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $193.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. They set a $172.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on PepsiCo from $185.00 to $168.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $169.88.

About Senator Smith

Tina Smith (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Minnesota. She assumed office on January 3, 2018. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027. Smith (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Minnesota. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020. Smith succeeded former Senator Al Franken (D). She assumed office on January 3, 2018. Smith won a full term in the special general election for the position on November 6, 2018. She defeated Karin Housley (R), Sarah Wellington (Legal Marijuana Now Party), and Jerry Trooien (Unaffiliated) to win the seat. She advanced to the general election after defeating five challengers in the special Democratic primary election on August 14, 2018. Smith previously served as the 48th lieutenant governor of Minnesota. She was elected to the position on a joint ticket with incumbent Governor Mark Dayton on November 4, 2014, and was sworn into office on January 5, 2015.

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.