Edge Financial Advisors LLC Invests $802,000 in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Edge Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 4,581 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $802,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PEP. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA grew its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 80.5% in the fourth quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Fortis Group Advisors LLC grew its position in PepsiCo by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. Life Planning Partners Inc purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Naples Money Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PepsiCo Trading Up 0.5 %

NASDAQ:PEP traded up $0.81 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $163.41. 752,593 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,445,693. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $224.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.58, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.52. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $155.83 and a 52 week high of $192.38. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $172.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $170.13.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.09. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.37% and a net margin of 10.00%. The firm had revenue of $18.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.08 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 7th were paid a $1.355 dividend. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 7th. This is an increase from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 81.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PEP has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $185.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 target price on the stock. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, March 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $186.64.

Insider Activity at PepsiCo

In other news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total transaction of $1,000,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,603,634. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.