PepsiCo (PEP) shares rose 0.84% to $168.93 in the afternoon trade on Friday, extending gains for a seventh session.
The stock had gained about 12.67% between January 29 and February 5, compared to a 2.45% slide of the S&P 500 during the same period.
PepsiCo shares advanced after the company beat fourth-quarter earnings and revenue expectations and provided an outlook for 2026. Growth in North America and strong Frito-Lay performance, supported by targeted affordability initiatives, helped lift investor confidence. Sentiment was further boosted by an increase in the annual dividend and the announcement of a $10 billion share buyback program.
According to Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating system, PEP is rated Hold, with a score of 3.32 out of 5, receiving an A+ for profitability but a D+ for growth and valuation.
On Wall Street, seven of 23 analysts rate the stock Buy or higher, 15 recommend Hold, and one recommends a Strong Sell.
An analyst said PepsiCo’s rally was driven more by multiple expansion than fundamentals, noting that “volumes remain weak, margins are under pressure, and the stock now prices in a recovery that has yet to show up.” They added that “with price cuts of up to 15% now planned, Pepsi is effectively trading margin certainty for a volume rebound” and warned that “upside now depends on execution, not patience—and that materially raises the risk profile for new buyers.”
Shares have surged around 21% in the past one month and have gained approximately 17.38% year-to-date.