Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC Trims Stock Position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC lowered its position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 0.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 48,307 shares of the company’s stock after selling 145 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo comprises approximately 1.1% of Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $7,345,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PEP. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its holdings in PepsiCo by 59.0% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in PepsiCo by 93.2% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of PepsiCo to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on PepsiCo from $183.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. StockNews.com raised PepsiCo from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Hsbc Global Res raised PepsiCo to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $184.00 to $178.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $176.73.

PepsiCo Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $151.90 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $208.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.54. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $153.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $165.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.70. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 1 year low of $141.51 and a 1 year high of $183.41.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 6th were paid a $1.355 dividend. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 6th. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.94%.

PepsiCo 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.