PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Price Target Raised to $165.00

05 Mar 2026, 03:08 by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat Gem

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP – Free Report) had its price target boosted by Royal Bank Of Canada from $156.00 to $165.00 in a research report released on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a sector perform rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on PEP. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on PepsiCo from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $170.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of PepsiCo from $148.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $154.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, PepsiCo currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $168.50.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PepsiCo

PepsiCo Stock Performance

Shares of PEP opened at $163.92 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $154.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $149.17. PepsiCo has a 12 month low of $127.60 and a 12 month high of $171.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $224.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.39.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.02. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.92% and a net margin of 8.77%.The firm had revenue of $29.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.96 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.96 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that PepsiCo will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

PepsiCo announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 3rd that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 4.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

PepsiCo Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $1.4225 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. PepsiCo’s dividend payout ratio is 94.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PepsiCo

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of PepsiCo by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 138,483,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,875,205,000 after acquiring an additional 1,612,652 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of PepsiCo by 1.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,499,819 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,356,155,000 after purchasing an additional 1,079,970 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 33,617,937 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,814,835,000 after purchasing an additional 360,936 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in PepsiCo by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 29,031,404 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,833,406,000 after purchasing an additional 2,556,163 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in PepsiCo in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,018,813,000. Institutional investors own 73.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting PepsiCo

Here are the key news stories impacting PepsiCo this week:

Positive Sentiment: Gatorade launched “Gatorade Lower Sugar” nationwide — a science-backed formula with no artificial flavors/sweeteners/colors and ~75% less sugar than Gatorade Thirst Quencher. This product targets health-conscious consumers and could defend market share in sports/hydration categories while aligning with ongoing sugar-reduction trends. Read More.
Positive Sentiment: PepsiCo introduced protein‑packed Doritos — a product innovation in snacks that targets consumers seeking higher-protein options. New innovation can support category growth and potentially improve mix and margins if adoption is strong. Read More.
Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: RBC set a new $165 price target for PEP, which provides a near-term valuation anchor and may help sentiment among some institutional investors. Read More.
Positive Sentiment: Income/defensive appeal: PEP was featured as a top Dividend Aristocrat pick for 2026, reinforcing demand from income-focused and risk-averse investors amid volatility. That recognition can support share stability over time. Read More.
Positive Sentiment: Positive equity research coverage: A Zacks piece highlighted PepsiCo as a strong growth stock based on style scores, which could attract growth-oriented retail investors. Read More.
Neutral Sentiment: Internal promotion: PepsiCo elevated Rajat Paul to marketing manager for global canisters & imports. Operationally relevant but unlikely to move the stock materially in the short term. Read More.
Neutral Sentiment: Industry risk discussion: A MarketBeat piece on J.M. Smucker referenced the broader sector concern that GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs could pressure indulgent snack demand. PepsiCo management has said the impact isn’t yet quantifiable — this is a watchlist item rather than a confirmed headwind. Read More.
Negative Sentiment: Investor alert / legal investigation: Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law issued an investor alert investigating PepsiCo’s directors and officers for alleged breach of fiduciary duties. Such probes can trigger governance scrutiny, potential litigation costs, and short-term selling pressure as investors de‑risk. This appears to be the primary immediate negative catalyst behind today’s downward move. Read More.

PepsiCo Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

PepsiCo, Inc (NASDAQ: PEP) is a multinational food and beverage company headquartered in Purchase, New York. The company develops, manufactures, markets and sells a broad portfolio of branded food and beverage products, including carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, salty snacks, cereals, and other convenient foods. Its leading consumer brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, Quaker, Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, among others.