Oak Asset Management LLC Has $3.54 Million Stock Holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Oak Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 0.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,251 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the quarter. PepsiCo comprises approximately 1.3% of Oak Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Oak Asset Management LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $3,544,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA raised its position 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 valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Fortis Group Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of PepsiCo by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Life Planning Partners Inc bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Naples Money Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 73.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on PEP shares. Argus lowered shares of PepsiCo from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $181.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 18th. 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 research report on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Monday, June 24th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 target price on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $186.38.

PepsiCo Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:PEP opened at $162.89 on Tuesday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 52 week low of $155.83 and a 52 week high of $192.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company’s fifty day moving average is $173.37 and its 200-day moving average is $170.30. The company has a market capitalization of $223.94 billion, a PE ratio of 24.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.52.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.09. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.00% and a return on equity of 57.37%. The company had revenue of $18.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 7th were paid a $1.355 dividend. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.33%. 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 payout ratio is currently 81.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 53,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,603,634. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.