PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Stock Now Rated “Hold” by Wall Street Analysts

Posted by Francis Steltz on Oct 18th, 2026

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty-one ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fourteen have issued a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $145.50.

A number of analysts have commented on PEP shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on PepsiCo from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Barclays dropped their target price on PepsiCo from $133.00 to $126.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Evercore decreased their price target on PepsiCo from $150.00 to $135.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on PepsiCo from $161.00 to $150.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PepsiCo

PepsiCo Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $131.49 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $179.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.52, a P/E/G ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $134.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $142.25. PepsiCo has a 1 year low of $123.47 and a 1 year high of $171.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 7th. The company reported $2.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.05. PepsiCo had a net margin of 11.09% and a return on equity of 53.08%. The company had revenue of $25.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.95 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.29 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that PepsiCo will post 8.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other PepsiCo news, EVP David Flavell sold 2,900 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction on Monday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.54, for a total transaction of $404,666.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 74,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,441,080.50. The trade was a 3.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert Pohlad bought 184,646 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $128.28 per share, with a total value of $23,686,388.88. Following the purchase, the director owned 433,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $55,546,394.52. This represents a 74.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Core Capital Management & Research inc. purchased a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $932,000. First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in shares of PepsiCo in the 1st quarter worth approximately $10,782,000. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,406,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,179,099,000 after purchasing an additional 987,582 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 19.0% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,110,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,409,000 after purchasing an additional 177,468 shares during the period. Finally, IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 4.8% during the first quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 273,135 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,415,000 after purchasing an additional 12,472 shares in the last quarter. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PepsiCo News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

Positive Sentiment: Director Robert Pohlad bought 184,646 shares for approximately $23.7 million, increasing his direct ownership by 74.35%. The purchase may signal confidence that PepsiCo’s depressed valuation does not reflect its long-term prospects. SEC insider transaction filing
Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained a Hold rating but raised its price target to $145, suggesting balanced risk-reward and potential upside from current levels. The firm cited strength at Taco Bell as partially offsetting the KFC loss. Bank of America rating update
Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo announced a €500 million offering of 3.750% senior notes. The proceeds strengthen funding flexibility, although the transaction adds to the company’s already elevated debt burden. PepsiCo euro-denominated senior notes announcement
Neutral Sentiment: PepsiCo, its foundation and Feed the Children reported distributing 2 million meals through a school-based hunger-relief program. The announcement supports corporate reputation but is unlikely to materially affect earnings. PepsiCo hunger-relief program announcement
Negative Sentiment: KFC will replace Pepsi beverages with Coca-Cola products at U.S. restaurants beginning in January 2027, with a full rollout expected by spring. Although KFC represents a limited portion of PepsiCo’s sales, investors view the loss as a setback for its U.S. food-service business and brand presence. Reuters report on KFC switching beverage suppliers
Negative Sentiment: In India, PepsiCo warned that its Sting and Adrenaline Rush energy drinks could run out within two months after a court declined to suspend restrictions on “energy drink” labeling. The dispute could cause supply disruptions and allow competitors such as Red Bull to gain share. PepsiCo India energy-drink supply report

PepsiCo Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ:PEP) is a global food and beverage company whose portfolio includes Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker, Tostitos, Fritos, and SodaStream. Its products span carbonated soft drinks, sports and energy beverages, bottled water, juices, convenient foods, snacks, and other packaged food offerings.

The company sells products through retail stores, restaurants, food-service providers, e-commerce platforms, and other distribution channels. PepsiCo serves consumers in North America and international markets across Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.