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Should Investors Buy PepsiCo (PEP) Shares Before Earnings?

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The Q3 earnings season is just around the corner, with the big banks’ results coming next Friday. But before we get to them, a consumer staples favorite, PepsiCo (PEP - Free Report) , is on the reporting docket for next week (Tuesday, October 8th) before the market opens.

Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.

Let’s take a closer look at expectations for the consumer staples titan.

PepsiCo Expectations

 

PEP shares have largely been disappointing in 2024, up a modest 1.2% and primarily trading sideways all year. It’s worth noting here that investors have increasingly decreased exposure to Consumer Staples stocks overall in 2024 thanks to the risk-on environment that’s been led by red-hot Technology.

Below is a chart illustrating the year-to-date performance of PEP shares relative to the Zacks Consumer Staples sector and the S&P 500.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Analysts have taken their earnings expectations lower for the quarter to be reported over recent months, with the $2.30 Zacks Consensus EPS estimate down 2% since mid-July but suggesting 2.2% growth from the year-ago period.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Revenue expectations have followed a similar path, with the $23.9 billion expected down a modest 1% over the same timeframe and reflecting a 1.9% increase from the year-ago period. It’s important to note that the company’s revenue growth pace has seen a notable decline over recent periods, as shown below.

Please note that the chart below tracks the YOY percentage change, not actual sales numbers.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Shares aren’t expensive on a historical basis, with the current 19.6X forward 12-month earnings multiple well beneath the 23.6X five-year median and five-year highs of 27.8X. The lower multiple reflects investors’ slowing growth expectations, as mentioned above.

Are Shares a Buy?

 

The outlook heading into PepsiCo’s (PEP - Free Report) quarterly release isn’t overly positive, with analysts modestly revising their earnings and sales expectations downwards. Shares have largely been disappointing in 2024, but a positive guide would likely breathe life back into shares.

This looks to be a ‘wait and see’ situation, particularly due to the downwards revisions. Still, being a more defensive stock, PEP shares likely won’t suffer a deep downwards move if results don’t match expectations.


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