PepsiCo Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:PEP)

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors acquired 188,158 call options on the stock. Thisrepresentsanincreaseof292% compared to the average daily volume of 48,034 call options.

Institutional Trading of PepsiCo

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Elite Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in PepsiCo during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new position in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Legend Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

PepsiCo Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $146.39 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $143.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $200.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.66, a PEG ratio of 3.71 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. PepsiCo has a 52 week low of $127.60 and a 52 week high of $179.43.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $22.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.28 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 8.23% and a return on equity of 57.81%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.28 earnings per share. PepsiCo has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.038-8.038 EPS. Analysts anticipate that PepsiCo will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 5th will be paid a dividend of $1.4225 per share. This represents a $5.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 5th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on PEP. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on PepsiCo from $140.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on PepsiCo from $153.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 18th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Thursday, July 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $158.60.

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.