Symmetry Partners LLC Acquires Shares of 1,680 PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Symmetry Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 1,680 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $255,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the third quarter worth $31,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Human Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $148.11 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $148.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $159.50. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $141.51 and a 12-month high of $183.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $203.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $27.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $27.89 billion. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 58.87% and a net margin of 10.43%. PepsiCo’s quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.78 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current year.

PepsiCo Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th will be paid a $1.355 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 7th. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.66%. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is presently 77.99%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on PEP. HSBC lowered their price objective on PepsiCo from $186.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on PepsiCo from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. StockNews.com downgraded PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on PepsiCo in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. They issued a $172.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, CICC Research reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $169.88.

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.