PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Short Interest Up 16.0% in February

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 20,920,000 shares, a growth of 16.0% from the February 13th total of 18,040,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 7,270,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.9 days. Currently, 1.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

PepsiCo Price Performance

PEP stock opened at $147.15 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $201.82 billion, a PE ratio of 21.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $148.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $159.41. PepsiCo has a one year low of $141.51 and a one year high of $183.41. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.43% and a return on equity of 58.87%. The business had revenue of $27.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.78 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that PepsiCo will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th will be issued a dividend of $1.355 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.68%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 77.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PEP has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler started coverage on PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $171.00 price objective for the company. BNP Paribas reduced their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $162.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $169.88.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PEP. WealthTrak Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in PepsiCo during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.