Pepsi (PEP, $143.11) gets rating boost, price target hike from Citi analyst

PepsiCo  got a rating upgrade at  Citigroup, on wider profit margin expectations.

Citigroup analyst Wendy Nicholson boosted her rating on the beverage giant’s shares to buy from neutral. She also raised her share-price target to Wall Street high $169, from $148.  The price target implies a 22% upside potential from Friday's close at $138.44.

According to Nicholson, increasing operating margins could boost Pepsi shares. The stock’s multiple should “expand considerably from current levels,” she noted.

According to Tickeron's AI-powered analysis, Momentum Indicator for PEP turns positive, indicating new upward trend

PEP saw its Momentum Indicator move above the 0 level on September 28, 2020. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new upward move. Traders may want to consider buying the stock or buying call options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 98 similar instances where the indicator turned positive. In 43 of the 98 cases, the stock moved higher in the following days. The odds of a move higher are at 44%.

Current price $143.30 is above $142.96 the highest resistance line found by A.I. Throughout the month of 09/09/20 - 10/09/20, the price experienced a +0.97% Uptrend. During the week of 10/02/20 - 10/09/20, the stock enjoyed a +0.27% Uptrend growth.

Technical Analysis (Indicators)

Bullish Trend Analysis

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for PEP just turned positive on September 29, 2020. Looking at past instances where PEP's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 19 of 48 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 40%.

PEP moved above its 50-day Moving Average on October 07, 2020 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.

The 10-day Moving Average for PEP crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 06, 2020. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 7 of 17 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 41%.

Following a +1.04% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where PEP advanced for three days, in 120 of 340 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 35%.

The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 119 of 349 cases where PEP Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 34%.

Bearish Trend Analysis

The 10-day RSI Indicator for PEP moved out of overbought territory on September 03, 2020. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 46 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 14 of the 46 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 30%.

The Stochastic Indicator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In 18 of 62 cases where PEP's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 29%.

Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where Apple declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 25%.

PEP broke above its upper Bollinger Band on September 02, 2020. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.

Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)

Tickeron has a positive outlook on this ticker and predicts a further increase by more than 4.00% within the next month with a likelihood of 85%. During the last month, the daily ratio of advancing to declining volumes was 1.04 to 1.

The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 12 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.

The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 22 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.

The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 23 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 65, placing this stock better than average.

The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 33 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly undervalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (14.20) is normal, around the industry mean (8.66). P/E Ratio (27.42) is within average values for comparable stocks, (142.74). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.10) is also within normal values, averaging (1.12). PEP has a moderately high Dividend Yield (2.76) as compared to the industry average of (1.30). P/S Ratio (2.81) is also within normal values, averaging (5.94).

The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 37 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. PEP’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.