5 Best Slow Growth Stocks to Buy According to Analysts

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1. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

On April 22, 2026, PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) announced a multi-year collaboration with Google Cloud (GOOG) to enhance its digital infrastructure and use the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform to help teams translate insights into action at scale. The company said it is working with Google Cloud to modernize its IT ecosystem and advance its multi-cloud strategy, aiming to apply AI to areas such as supply chain management and go-to-market execution while building new capabilities across its global operations.

On April 17, 2026, JPMorgan raised its price target on PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) to $178 from $172 and maintained an Overweight rating following the Q1 report, citing better-than-expected results and a “positive inflection in snacks volumes.”

On April 16, 2026, PepsiCo reported Q1 core EPS of $1.61, above the $1.58 consensus, and revenue of $19.44B compared to the $21.79B consensus. Ramon Laguarta said results showed an acceleration in net and organic revenue growth, with improvement in convenience foods volumes supported by brand initiatives, innovation, and affordability actions. The company reaffirmed its 2026 outlook, expecting organic revenue growth of 2% to 4%, core constant currency EPS growth of 4% to 6%, a core tax rate of about 22%, capital spending below 5% of net revenue, a free cash flow conversion ratio of at least 80%, and total cash returns to shareholders of about $8.9B, including $7.9B in dividends and $1.0B in share repurchases.

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) manufactures, markets, and sells beverages and convenient foods globally.

While we acknowledge the potential of PEP to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PEP and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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