Armstrong Henry H Associates Inc. Increases Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Armstrong Henry H Associates Inc. boosted its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 0.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,430 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo comprises approximately 0.3% of Armstrong Henry H Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Armstrong Henry H Associates Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $2,875,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of PEP. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in PepsiCo by 77.5% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 158 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC grew its position in PepsiCo by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. Naples Money Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PEP traded up $3.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $178.04. 6,856,083 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,787,874. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1 year low of $155.83 and a 1 year high of $189.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $244.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.83. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $168.15 and a 200 day moving average of $170.13.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 11th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.12. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.34% and a return on equity of 57.37%. The firm had revenue of $22.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.09 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a $1.355 dividend. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 78.66%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PEP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on PepsiCo from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. DZ Bank lowered PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $183.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Friday, July 19th. BNP Paribas began coverage on PepsiCo in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on PepsiCo from $179.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $185.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other PepsiCo news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total value of $1,000,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,603,634. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.