PepsiCo (PEP) Upgraded to Overweight by JPMorgan After Initiatives to Boost Shareholder Returns

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) ranks among the most active blue chip stocks to buy now. JPMorgan raised PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) from Neutral to Overweight on December 10, increasing its price target to $164 from $151. The boost comes after Pepsico’s recent press release highlighting initiatives to increase shareholder return, which featured early guidance for 2026.

Analyst Andrea Teixeira claimed that PepsiCo’s enhanced strategic plan “should position PEP to drive HSD total shareholder return (TSR) in 2026,” and that its stock would continue to trade “at a steep high-teens discount” to reputable competition.

JPMorgan also highlighted that, while there have been no major deviations in the company’s business objectives, which were primarily based on Pepsico’s existing programs, progressively higher productivity targets combined with improved top-line growth provide a solid outlook. The firm added that the integration of Siete and Poppi in the second half of the year, as well as improved Alani Nu distribution, “sets the company up for better organic top-line performance.”

One of the most well-known names in the world, PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) is an American multinational company involved in the food, snack, and beverage sectors.

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 this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.