PepsiCo is lowering the prices of its Cheetos, Doritos, Lays and other snack brands by up to 15%, saying it wants to bring “relief” to consumers facing an affordability crunch.
The food and beverage company said the price cuts — announced just before this weekend’s Super Bowl game — are an effort to respond to the financial strain facing many consumers, who conveyed that “rising everyday costs are making their daily decisions harder.”
The new pricing will start rolling out across the U.S. this week, according to PepsiCo.
The move comes amid a pullback in demand from consumers after PepsiCo instituted a series of price hikes. In the fourth quarter, PepsiCo increased beverage prices by 7% in North America, while its snack prices were up 1%. Food manufacturers like PepsiCo are also contending with the impact of appetite-suppressing weight-loss drugs, which are hurting demand for snacks.
Which snacks are getting cheaper?
PepsiCo said it will lower the suggested retail price on each of the following snacks by up to 15%, while noting that retailers can further lower the cost:
Cheetos
Doritos
Lay’s
Tostitos
Why is PepsiCo cutting prices?
PepsiCo Foods U.S. CEO Rachel Ferdinando said the move is part of the company’s wider push to make products more affordable for consumers.
“We’ve spent the past year listening closely to consumers, and they’ve told us they’re feeling the strain,” she said in a statement on Tuesday. “Lowering the suggested retail price reflects our commitment to help reduce the pressure where we can.”
No other changes are being made to the snacks. Packaging and quantities will remain the same, the company noted.
PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said in a call with Wall Street analysts on Tuesday that the company tested price cuts in some markets last year and found that it boosted sales.
“Volume return is pretty good, and that’s what the category needs,” Laguarta said.
PepsiCo plans to cut prices and eliminate some of its products under a deal with an activist investor announced Monday.
The Purchase, New York-based company, which makes Cheetos, Tostitos and other Frito-Lay products as well as beverages, said it will cut nearly 20% of its product offerings by early next year. PepsiCo said it will use the savings to invest in marketing and improved value for consumers. It didn’t disclose which products or how much it would cut prices.
PepsiCo said it also plans to accelerate the introduction of new offerings with simpler and more functional ingredients, including Doritos Protein and Simply NKD Cheetos and Doritos, which contain no artificial flavors or colors. The company also recently introduced a prebiotic version of its signature cola.
PepsiCo is making the changes after prodding from Elliott Investment Management, which took a $4 billion stake in the company in September. In a letter to PepsiCo’s board, Elliott said the company is being hurt by a lack of strategic clarity, decelerating growth and eroding profitability in its North American food and beverage businesses.
In a joint statement with PepsiCo Monday, Elliott Partner Marc Steinberg said the firm is confident that PepsiCo can create value for shareholders as it executes on its new plan.
“We appreciate our collaborative engagement with PepsiCo’s management team and the urgency they have demonstrated,” Steinberg said. “We believe the plan announced today to invest in affordability, accelerate innovation and aggressively reduce costs will drive greater revenue and profit growth.”
Elliott said it plans to continue working closely with the company.
PepsiCo shares were flat in after-hours trading Monday.
PepsiCo said it expects organic revenue to grow between 2% and 4% in 2026. The company’s organic revenue rose 1.5%. the first nine months of this year.
PepsiCo also said it plans to review its supply chain and continue to make changes to its board, with a focus on global leaders who can help it reach its growth and profitability goals.
“We feel encouraged about the actions and initiatives we are implementing with urgency to improve both marketplace and financial performance,” PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said in a statement.
PepsiCo said in February that years of double-digit price increases and changing customer preferences have weakened demand for its drinks and snacks. In July, the company said it was trying to combat perceptions that its products are too expensive by expanding distribution of value brands like Chester’s and Santitas.
U.S. consumers who have had their fill of finding protein added to everything from cereal to ice cream are about to meet the next big food fad: fiber.
Americans have been boosting their protein intake for years; even Pop-Tarts and Starbucks are selling protein-enhanced products. But the number of new products promoted with high or added fiber saw a big uptick in the U.S. this year, according to market research firm Mintel. Hundreds of videos on social media celebrate the benefits of dietary fiber and share recipes to help viewers get more of it.
There’s even a term for trying to meet or exceed the recommended daily fiber intake: fibermaxxing.
“I think fiber will be the next protein,” PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said during a recent conference call with investors. “Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is the benefit that they need.”
Boxes of cereal promoting fiber sit on a shelf at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)
Boxes of cereal promoting fiber sit on a shelf at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)
Fiber’s benefits
Unlike muscle-building protein, fiber isn’t sexy. It’s a carbohydrate found in plants that your body can’t break down. It helps feed gut bacteria and move food through the digestive system.
“Folks don’t want to talk about it at a dinner party,” said Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian nutritionist and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
There are two main types of fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material that feeds gut bacteria. It’s found in foods like oats, peas, beans, apples and carrots. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and moves food through the digestive system. It’s found in whole wheat flour, popcorn, wheat bran, nuts, green beans and potatoes.
This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.
Studies have shown that fiber lowers cholesterol levels, regulates blood sugar and promotes weight loss, since high-fiber foods tend to make eaters feel more full. It may also protect against heart disease, diabetes, diverticulitis and colon cancer, according to the American Heart Association.
Petitpain said rising use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs could be one reason for the renewed focus on fiber, since GLP-1s naturally slow digestion and fiber can prevent constipation. She said fiber has seen similar spikes in interest when people wanted to alleviate symptoms from high-fat diets like Atkins or keto.
How much fiber do we need?
Most people in Western countries could use more fiber because their diets are low in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, said Sander Kersten, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.
Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidelines, adults should aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories they consume. That’s about 25 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams for men each day. Petitpain said Americans generally only get about two-thirds of that amount.
For reference, 1 cup of raspberries contains 8 grams of fiber, while a banana contains 3.2 grams, according to the USDA. One-half cup of avocado contains 5 grams of fiber and 1 cup of lima beans contains 13.2 grams. Fiber One, a bran cereal, packs 18 grams of fiber into a 2/3-cup serving.
Boxes of cereal promoting fiber are for sale at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)
Boxes of cereal promoting fiber are for sale at a Kroger grocery store, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)
What are good ways to increase fiber?
Kersten said long-term studies about the benefits of fiber have looked at the consumption of whole foods and not packaged products with added fiber.
“The way it is consumed as an additive and part of a diet that doesn’t contain a lot of fiber may be different than a naturally fiber-rich diet,” Kersten said. “You can eat a very processed, Western diet and consume foods that are enriched, but we don’t know if it confers the same benefit.”
Whole foods also help the body in other ways, Petitpain said. An apple contains 4.8 grams of fiber as well as water, vitamins and minerals, for example.
Here are some recommendations from the Mayo Clinic for adding fiber to your diet:
— Choose a breakfast cereal with 5 grams or more of fiber a serving. Top it with a sliced banana or berries.
— Choose breads with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving and try other grains like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and quinoa.
— When baking, substitute whole-grain flour for white flour. Add wheat bran to muffins and cookies.
— Try to eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily. If you eat canned fruit, make sure it’s canned in fruit juice and not syrup, and make sure canned vegetables are low in sodium.
Think twice about fibermaxxing
There is no defined upper limit for fiber intake, Kersten said. But increasing fiber can cause painful gas and bloating, especially if it’s done quicky.
Petitpain said people should increase their fiber intake gradually and drink plenty of water.
“You’re feeding gut bacteria a food, and you can’t break it down. You rely on them, and if you give them second, third and fourth servings, there’s not enough of them to handle the extra load,” Petitpain said.
Certain populations should also be extra careful about their fiber intake, Petitpain said. People who are sensitive to gluten or allergic to foods like soy, shellfish or psyllium husk should read labels carefully since some foods with added fiber contain those ingredients.
More broadly, Kersten questions the trend of focusing on one nutrient, whether it’s protein or fiber.
“We don’t need nutrients, we need foods. Ultimately, what you want to be striving for is a healthy diet, and you should choose foods that are considered to be an important part of a healthy diet,” he said.
Being CEO has its many perks: Business leaders get to command the world’s most powerful companies, shape their legacies as pioneers of industry, and enjoy hefty billion-dollar paychecks. But in the steep climb up the corporate ladder, many won’t notice all the peers left behind until they’re looking down from the very top. It can be a lonely, solitary job.
Leaders at some of the world’s largest companies—from Airbnb and UPS to PepsiCo and Apple—are finally opening up about the mental toll that comes with the job. As it turns out, many industry trailblazers are grappling with intense loneliness; at least 40% of executives are thinking of leaving their job, mainly because they’re lacking energy and feel alone in handling daily challenges, according to a Harvard Medical School professor. And the number could even be higher: About 70% of C-suite leaders “are seriously considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being,” according to a 2022 Deloitte study.
To ward off feelings of isolation, founders and top executives are stepping outside of the office to focus on improving their well-being. Toms founder Blake Mycoskie struggled with depression and loneliness after scaling his once-small shoe business into a billion-dollar behemoth. Feeling disconnected from his life’s purpose and that his “reason for being now felt like a job,” he went on a three-day men’s retreat to work on his mental health. And Seth Berkowitz, the founder and CEO of $350 million dessert giant Insomnia Cookies, cautions bright-eyed entrepreneurs the gig “is not really for everyone.”
“It can be lonely; it’s a solitary life. It really is,” Berkowitz recently toldFortune.
Brian Chesky, cofounder and CEO of Airbnb
Eugene Gologursky / Stringer / Getty Images
Airbnb’s cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky is one the most outspoken leaders in the business world waving the red flag on loneliness. Chesky described having a lonely childhood, pulled between his love for creative design and sports, never really fitting in. But his mental health took a turn for the worse once assuming the throne as Airbnb’s CEO. His other two cofounders—who he called his “family,” spending all their waking hours working, exercising, and hanging out together—were suddenly out of view from the peak of the C-suite.
“As I became a CEO I started leading from the front, at the top of the mountain, but then the higher you get to the peak, the fewer the people there are with you,” Chesky told Jay Shetty during an episode of the On Purpose podcast last year. “No one ever told me how lonely you would get, and I wasn’t prepared for that.”
Chesky recommends budding leaders actually share their power, so no one shoulders the mental burden of entrepreneurship alone.
“I think that ultimately, today, we’re probably living in one of the loneliest times in human history,” Chesky said. “If people were as lonely in yesteryear as they are today, they’d probably perish, because you just couldn’t survive without your tribe.”
Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo
Jemal Countess / Stringer / Getty Images
Leaders at Fortune 500 giant PepsiCo face constant pressure from consumers, investors, board members, and their own employees. But it’s also tough to vent to peers who may not relate to—or even understand—the trials and tribulations of running a $209 billion company. Indra Nooyi, the business’ former CEO, said she often felt isolated with no one to confide in.
“You can’t really talk to your spouse all the time. You can’t talk to your friends because it’s confidential stuff about the company. You can’t talk to your board because they are your bosses. You can’t talk to people who work for you because they work for you,” Nooyi toldKellogg Insight, the research magazine for Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management,earlier this year. “And so it puts you in a fairly lonely position.”
Instead of divulging to a trusted friend or anonymously airing out her frustrations on Reddit, Nooyi looked inward. She was the only person she could trust, even if that meant embracing the isolation.
“I would talk to myself. I would go look at myself in a mirror. I would talk to myself. I would rage at myself. I would shed a few tears, then put on some lipstick and come out,” Nooyi said. “That was my go-to because all people need an outlet. And you have to be very careful who your outlet is because you never want them to use it against you at any point.”
Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS
Kevin Dietsch / Staff / Getty Images
Before Carol Tomé stepped into the role of the CEO of UPS, she was warned the top job goes hand-in-hand with loneliness. The word of caution didn’t phase her—at least, not at first. But things changed when she actually took the helm of the $75 billion shipping company.
“I would say, ‘How lonely can it really be? It can’t be that lonely?’ What I’ve since learned is that it is extraordinarily lonely,” Tomé toldFortune last year.
“When you are a member of an executive team, you hang together…Now, my executive team will wait for me to leave a meeting so that they can debrief together. It’s the reality and you have to get used to it. But it is super lonely.”
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
NurPhoto / Contributor / Getty Images
Apple CEO Tim Cook isn’t immune to the loneliness that often comes with the corner office. More than 14 years into his tenure, he’s acknowledged his missteps, which he called “blind spots,” that have the potential to affect thousands of workers across the company if left unchecked. Cook said it’s important for leaders to get out of their own heads and surround themselves with bright people who bring out the best in them.
“It’s sort of a lonely job,” Cook toldThe Washington Post in 2016. “The adage that it’s lonely—the CEO job is lonely—is accurate in a lot of ways. I’m not looking for any sympathy.”
Seth Berkowitz, founder and CEO of Insomnia Cookies
Courtesy of Insomnia Cookies
Entrepreneurship can be a deeply fulfilling and rewarding journey: an opportunity to trade a nine-to-five job for a multimillion-dollar fortune, if all the right conditions are met. And while Insomnia Cookies’ Seth Berkowitz loves being a CEO and all the responsibilities that come with it, he cautioned young hopefuls about the weight of the career. He, like Cook, advises aspiring founders to counter loneliness with genuine, meaningful connections.
“It can be lonely; it’s a solitary life. It really is. [During] the harder times, it’s very solitary—finding camaraderie, mentorship, some sense of community, it’s really important,” Berkowitz recently toldFortune. “Because I go so deep, it’s sometimes hard to find others and let them in.”
Lay’s is making one thing clear with what it’s calling the biggest rebrand in its 100-year history: potato chips come from potatoes. While that fact may seem obvious, the PepsiCo-owned brand found that 42 percent of Lay’s consumers didn’t realize their chips were made from real farm-grown potatoes—hence a design that put the vegetable front and center.
“That insight sparked the need to tell our food story more boldly and authentically,” Denise Truelove, SVP of marketing at PepsiCo Foods US, told Inc.
Known for its distinct yellow sun enveloped by a red ribbon logo, the PepsiCo-owned brand kept its iconic elements while making clearer its farm-to-bag story. The new logo maintains the iconic red ribbon while making the sun more distinguishable by adding warmth and sun-rays. Below that logo, the new bags read “made with real potatoes.”
The legacy brand’s sales were slipping, hinting towards a need for a refresh. According to the Wall Street Journal, Lay’s—which launched in its first iteration in 1932—amounts for around 60 percent of PepsiCo’s annual sales, yet its quarterly growth has slowed down since 2022.
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“It was definitely something that was needed,” Leslie Zane, expert marketer and founder of Triggers, a brand consultancy firm, says. “This happens very often to big brands when they stop reinforcing what their story is. They stop talking about the product. They stop talking about what goes into them and all the goodness.”
Lay’s is focused on reframing its narrative to remind consumers of its story—its potato chips come from family-owned potato farms across the globe. But rebrands don’t always go so well. Here’s how to pull one off.
Respect the brand
Cracker Barrel’s recent redesign sparked customer outcry because of its streamlined design, which left behind the most beloved elements of the brand and its history. Shortly after the reveal, the brand reverted back to its original design.
“Brands are precious assets. They are incredibly precious, and if you don’t respect them, you are going to make a mistake,” Zane says. “Marketers come in, ad agencies come in, design firms come in, and they’re like, ‘Let’s go modernize.’ The idea of modernizations is that we should transform and make something better, but they actually don’t end up making things better.”
While complete rebrands and redesign should be done sparingly, not just as a response to declining numbers, Zane emphasizes a brand’s need to identify its distinctive brand assets prior to redesigning.
“If you take away something that’s in people’s memories, you’re taking away the connection between the consumer and the brand,” Zane added. “You’re severing the relationship between the brand and the consumer, which is the last thing you want to do.”
Keep, stop, add
For redesigns to work, they must keep what works, stop negative associations, and add new positive meanings, Zane explains, a formula her consultancy firm applies to redesigns.
Moving forward, Lay’s is following consumer preferences by focusing on the “natural” elements of its products, at the heel of a growing health-conscious movement. For instance, while its portfolio is already 60 percent free of artificial colors, it is also putting natural ingredients front and center in its branding.
“Brands should not change for the sake of change; they should anchor every rebrand in consumer insight and feedback,” Truelove adds. “Successful change isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about strengthening clarity and connection while preserving what people love.”
Restricting shareholder proposals undermines the checks and balances that protect markets, innovation and social responsibility. Unsplash+
Illegal child marriages. Coerced sterilization. Debt bondage. Until recently, shareholders had the right to raise such human rights concerns through formal proposals to corporate boards, a right protected by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for nearly a century. Recent regulatory and interpretive changes, however, are creating new challenges for this fundamental avenue for accountability.
The sugar cane industry, for example, has become emblematic of harmful supply chain practices, involving some of the most visible and widely reported examples of concerning business practices. Companies including Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Mondelez have faced investigations into alleged labor abuses, including debt bondage. At Pepsi’s 2025 annual meeting, shareholders sought to submit a proposal requesting a report on the company’s efforts to address human rights violations in its supply chain. The company excluded the proposal, citing SEC staff’s revised interpretation of Rule 14a-8, outlined in Staff Legal Bulletin 14M (SLB14M).
SLB14M provides guidance on the application of Rule 14a-8, which allows eligible shareholders to submit proposals for inclusion in a company’s proxy statement. The bulletin also specifies circumstances under which companies may exclude these proposals. Citing that revised interpretation, Pepsi argued that the reported abuses occurred in franchise operations (which are “expected” to follow a code of conduct), not in Pepsi’s direct supply chain, and that the franchise sales were not “significantly related” to Pepsi’s business. Essentially, Pepsi claimed that the source of the ingredients sold under its brand did not materially affect its own business because the company itself did not purchase them. The SEC agreed with Pepsi, preventing shareholders from voting on the proposal.
Pepsi did not dispute reports that its products sold in India were allegedly made with sugar obtained through a supply chain linked to debt bondage and coerced hysterectomies. Instead, the company contended that these issues were unlikely to materially impact its operations. According to the SEC’s interpretation, shareholders may only make proposals with significant financial implications for the company itself, no matter the broader social or environmental consequences.
While SEC rules often shift with administrations, this case reflects a larger trend: a narrowing of shareholder voice. Several recent developments illustrate the pattern:
Collectively, these developments constrain shareholders’ capacity to influence corporate behavior towards more sustainable or ethical practices. Critics of shareholder engagement argue that investors should focus solely on financial returns, treating social and environmental considerations as irrelevant. This is a false dichotomy on two levels. First, environmental and human rights issues often carry real financial risks. Second, systemic harm—from environmental degradation to inequality—affects the broader economy and threatens the diversified portfolios and returns of investors.
The economic opportunity in sustainable business practices
The sugar supply chain demonstrates both the risks and opportunities for companies and investors. Brands derive tremendous value from reputation. The perception that Pepsi products are linked to labor abuses can erode consumer trust and is a significant concern for the company. Addressing these issues presents an opportunity to safeguard brand equity and strengthen customer loyalty. For shareholders, engagement extends beyond a single company’s prospects. Human rights and sustainability issues influence global economic conditions, which in turn impact the returns of diversified investors. By encouraging companies to adopt responsible practices, shareholders can help stabilize markets, support GDP growth and mitigate systemic risk.
The path forward: strengthening market-based solutions
Notably, this regulatory shift is occurring under a Republican-controlled administration and Congress, which has historically advocated for private property rights. Policymakers should ensure that proposal mechanisms remain consistent with free-market principles, enabling investors to allocate capital efficiently and hold companies accountable. If financial market rules are being revised, it should not be forgotten that the strength of our economy is based on a free capital market, which allows investors to fund a broad array of enterprises that create authentic value over the long term.
Limiting shareholder voice affects far more than greenhouse gas emissions and DEI. It alters the balance of power in capital markets, shifting decision-making from investors to executives and politicians. Investors are losing the power to push back when corporate executives risk the future of the company or the economy to boost profits. And this doesn’t just harm investors. This means our markets will become less effective allocators of capital, as decisions are made by unrestrained executives driven by short-term incentives or politicians swayed by political maneuvering, rather than by a commitment to the integrity of capital markets.
The innovation opportunity
Recent SEC actions show the practical consequences. In March, SEC staff allowed Wells Fargo to exclude a proposal on workers’ rights and collective bargaining, a proposal that observers note likely would have been allowed a few months prior. Limiting shareholder engagement reduces opportunities for market-driven innovation in workforce development, climate solutions and sustainable growth strategies. Climate issues illustrate the stakes vividly. Analysts project that unchecked greenhouse gas emissions could reduce global GDP by 50 percent between 2070 and 2090. Economic modeling suggests that decisive global climate action could lead to a $43 trillion gain in net present value to the global economy by 2070. Investor engagement can accelerate the transition to cleaner energy and sustainable business models, creating economic opportunities while mitigating systemic risks. Ignoring investors’ voices on these matters rejects the role that capital has played in creating the economic engine of the U.S. economy.
Workers depending on 401(k) plans, such as those in the American Airlines plan, could face real financial consequences if investor oversight is curtailed. Estimates suggest that the current trajectory of emissions could depress the entire equities market by up to 40 percent. The fossil fuel industry’s shortsightedness and the current administration’s policies are exacerbating the environmental crisis and creating economic and retirement instabilities.
Limiting shareholder voice threatens far more than individual investors. It weakens the very mechanisms that keep U.S. markets dynamic, resilient and capable of driving long-term growth. The muzzling of investors is part of a larger story: environmental data is being scrubbed from federal websites, critical scientific inquiry is being stalled and dissenters are being penalized. Historically, U.S. markets and democracy alike have relied on open debate and the free flow of information. Undermining shareholder oversight is part of a broader erosion of transparency that threatens both markets and the very norms that underpin a free society. Shareholder input is not a political preference but a market stabilizer, an innovation driver and a critical check on corporate governance. Preserving this function is essential to sustaining the economy, the integrity of capital markets and the broader social and environmental systems on which long-term prosperity depends.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Restaurants are racing to go digital, and PepsiCo wants to help them get there.
To the world, PepsiCo is a global brand known for bold flavors, iconic ads and entertainment partnerships. To restaurant owners, it is also a growth partner offering tools to strengthen their businesses.
André Moraes, who leads global digital marketing for PepsiCo, explains how the multinational food and beverage corporation has been building a digital powerhouse for restaurant partners. “Restaurants are at the center of our lives,” Moraes tells Shawn Walchef of Restaurant Influencers. “If they succeed, the whole community does.”
The initiative includes the Digital Lab, Menu Pro, Local Eats and Media Pro, all designed to make restaurants stronger in the digital age. “Everything that we offer to our customer partners is completely free,” Moraes adds.
That commitment has already scaled in a big way. Through its Menu Pro program, PepsiCo has worked with more than 200,000 restaurants and optimized over one million menus worldwide. It can share insights from one market to another, giving local operators access to the same expertise that benefits national chains. The data collected from this global reach has helped restaurants improve ordering experiences and grow sales.
The results, Moraes noted, are measurable.
“We continue to see double-digit growth in overall digital sales for our restaurant partners,” he says. “Through it, we see growth in beverage sales as well, but it’s profitable growth, which is what we’re really excited about.”
PepsiCo also makes sure the support is hands-on. Digital leads across the country work directly with restaurant operators, helping them improve their menus, adopt new tools and stay on top of changes.
For many operators, it is the kind of one-on-one guidance they would not be able to afford on their own. Proprietary AI systems monitor menus continuously, ensuring items, prices and photos stay accurate across platforms.
For Moraes, the outcome matters most. “Guests are ordering and going to our restaurants, [and they’re] excelling through the tools and services and partnerships that we’re offering,” he says. “We are truly coming through as the growth partner for our restaurant partners.”
PepsiCo’s impact goes further than digital tools. The company is investing directly in local restaurants and the communities they anchor.
That is where PepsiCo’s Local Eats program comes in. “Local Eats is our program specifically focused on local restaurants,” Moraes says. “If you’ve got one location to even upwards of 100 locations — but focused on local markets — we’re here for you through the Local Eats program.”
Local Eats drives awareness, traffic and loyalty for independent and regional restaurants. The program invests in digital ads, out-of-home campaigns and even connects restaurants to PepsiCo’s national marketing. When PepsiCo shows food in ads, it often highlights a partner restaurant’s story.
Inside the restaurant, PepsiCo provides branded assets to enhance the guest experience. Online, the company buys search and maps ads that put local restaurants at the top of results when hungry customers are deciding where to eat.
The impact was on display at the National Restaurant Show with Russell’s Barbecue, a partner PepsiCo guided through a Local Eats transformation. “What you see here is a bit of the before and after, and you’ll see what their business looks like today,” Moraes says. The results included sharper branding, stronger digital traffic and more in-person visits.
“Local Eats is about reaching, converting and retaining guests for our partners,” Moraes says. “We want to make sure we are not just driving traffic, but helping restaurants keep customers coming back.”
There is also a community element. Local Eats includes a digital and delivery community program, where operators join live courses with PepsiCo experts and peers to learn best practices and build long-term strategies together.
Diners still want to eat out, connect and be part of a local scene. And for PepsiCo, success means being part of that journey. By investing in digital tools, marketing support and hands-on partnerships, the company is showing that it is not only a beverage brand but also a growth partner committed to helping restaurants thrive in their communities.
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Should you pass on that morning bowl of cereal or oatmeal?
Thatâs what some people may be asking in light of a study released this week by the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on agricultural and chemical-safety laws in the U.S. The study looked at the prevalence of a pesticide called chlormequat in oat-based food products, including cereals like Cheerios and Quaker Oats.Â
The EWG said it found detectable levels of the chemical in 92% of nonorganic oat-based foods purchased in May 2023.
âStudies in laboratory animals show that chlormequat can cause harm to the normal growth and development of the fetus and damage the reproductive system,â Olga Naidenko, vice president at the EWG, told MarketWatch. Those risks, the EWG report noted, can include reduced fertility.Â
It has not been proven that the substance affects humans in the same way the studies cited by the EWG found it does lab animals, and there are other studies that have found chlormequat had no effect on reproduction in pigs or mice, or any impact on fertilization rates in mice.
The EWG is still advocating that concerned consumers buy organic oat products as an alternative, however.Â
âCertified organic oats are, by law, grown without synthetic pesticides,â Naidenko said.Â
Representatives for General Mills GIS, +1.28%,
the company that makes Cheerios, and PepsiCo PEP, -0.92%,
which owns Quaker Oats, didnât immediately respond to a request for comment.Â
“âAny family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat. Itâs not a safe product.â”
â Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant who focuses on pesticides
The EWGâs recommendation to go organic was echoed by experts that MarketWatch contacted.Â
Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant based in Washington state who focuses on pesticides, said heâs an oatmeal eater who chooses organic oatmeal âwhen I can get it.â
Regarding chlormequat, Benbrook said, âItâs not a safe product.â
âAny family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat,â he said.
Melissa Furlong, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Arizona, said itâs important to note that chlormequat is not the only pesticide that is found in oat-based cereals. Thereâs still much we need to learn about the health effects the substance might have on humans, she added.
âThatâs not to say it isnât the worst [pesticide]. We donât really know,â Furlong said.Â
Chlormequat has not been approved for use on food crops grown in the U.S., according to the EWG, but it can be found in oats and oat products from other countries. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency started allowing imports of such products into the U.S., the EWG noted, which is why chlormequat can be found in some cereals sold in this country.
The EPA is considering approving chlormequat for use on crops grown in the U.S., according to the agencyâs website. In a call for public comment on its proposed decision, the agency said, âBased on EPAâs human health risk assessment, there are no dietary, residential, or aggregate (i.e., combined dietary and residential exposures) risks of concern.â
The EPA didnât respond immediately to a request for comment.
For her part, Furlong said that while she usually buys organic oat products, she isnât rigid about it â and she might still buy the occasional box of Cheerios.
Quaker Oats is expanding a prior recall to include additional cereals, granola bars and snacks sold across the U.S. because they could be contaminated with salmonella.
The recalled products are sold throughout the 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and Saipan, Quaker Oats said in a notice posted Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. See here for a full list of the recalled items, including those listed in an initial recall in mid-December.
Salmonella can cause serious illness if it enters the bloodstream, especially in young children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. The organism causes an estimated 1.3 million infections in Americans every year, resulting in an average of more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths, CDC data shows.
Symptoms of infection usually occur within 12 hours to three days after eating contaminated food and include diarrhea, fever, nausea and abdominal cramps.
The recall includes Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Cap’n Crunch Bars and select Cap’n Crunch cereals and oatmeal, Quaker Chewy Granola Breakfast cereals and Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Gamesa Marias Cereal, Gatorade Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars, Munchies Munch Mix, and snack boxes that include these products, according to the Chicago-based company, a division of PepsiCo.
The recall does not include Quaker Oats, Quaker Instant Oats, Quaker Grits, Quaker Oat Bran, Quaker Oat Flour and Quaker Rice Snacks.
Consumers are urged to check their pantries for the recalled products and dispose of them. Additionally, consumers with any of the recalled products can contact Quaker Consumer Relations (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST, Mon.-Fri.) at 1-800-492-9322 or visit www.QuakerRecallUSA.com for additional information or product reimbursement.
Updated Oct 06, 2023, 2:51 am EDT / Original Oct 06, 2023, 1:15 am EDT
Consumer-staples stocks have gotten hit hard in recent weeks, and
hasn’t escaped the carnage. With the steady-Eddie beverage and snack giant set to report earnings on Oct. 10, its stock could be ready to pop.
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Trinity Legacy Partners LLC raised its position in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Rating) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 31,177 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 636 shares during the period. PepsiCo accounts for 2.2% of Trinity Legacy Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $5,632,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. City State Bank grew its position in shares of PepsiCo by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. City State Bank now owns 1,986 shares of the company’s stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the period. Hixon Zuercher LLC boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hixon Zuercher LLC now owns 26,730 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,364,000 after buying an additional 1,168 shares during the period. Hendershot Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Hendershot Investments Inc. now owns 95,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,531,000 after buying an additional 1,118 shares during the period. IAG Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,504 shares of the company’s stock worth $246,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in PepsiCo by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,173,000 after buying an additional 275 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.76% of the company’s stock.
PepsiCo Price Performance
Shares of PepsiCo stock opened at $175.13 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $241.20 billion, a PE ratio of 27.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.53. PepsiCo, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.86 and a 12-month high of $186.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $173.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $175.78.
PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.82 billion. PepsiCo had a net margin of 10.31% and a return on equity of 51.34%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.53 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 7.23 EPS for the current year.
PepsiCo Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.63%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 2nd. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is 71.76%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Argus raised their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $195.00 to $206.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 7th. Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $181.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 6th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of PepsiCo from $197.00 to $187.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of PepsiCo from $187.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $184.08.
Insider Activity
In related news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 16,827 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.70, for a total transaction of $2,906,022.90. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 49,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,462,300. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other PepsiCo news, Director Robert C. Pohlad sold 75,000 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.47, for a total value of $12,935,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 183,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,722,234.63. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 16,827 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.70, for a total transaction of $2,906,022.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 49,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,462,300. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.
PepsiCo, Inc engages in the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of beverages, food, and snacks. It operates through the following business segments: Frito-Lay North America (FLNA), Quaker Foods North America (QFNA), PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), Latin America (LatAm), Europe, Africa, Middle East, and South Asia (AMESA), and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, and China Region (APAC).
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beat earnings and revenue estimates in the fourth quarter, driven by higher prices. It increased its annual dividend, sending the stock higher in premarket trading Thursday.
The beverages and snacks giant (ticker:PEP) reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.67 on sales of $28 billion. Analysts were expecting EPS of $1.65 on sales of $26.8 billion.
Pepsi is set to be the latest company inciting a round of massive layoffs, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal.
The company (which oversees soft drinks like Gatorade and Pepsi as well as popular snack brands like Lays and Doritos) reportedly will target hundreds of employees in the beverage division in three major markets — Purchase, New York; Plano Texas and Chicago, Illinois.
The WSJ said that the layoffs were meant to help “simplify the organization” so that it could “operate more efficiently,” per an internal memo seen by the outlet.
As the end of the fiscal year looms, PepsiCo is coming off of a somewhat strong Q3 2022, with an 8.8% quarterly net revenue growth and a 7.7% net revenue growth year to date.
The company’s most recent earnings report even upped the expected delivery of organic revenue growth to reach the 12% mark year over year whereas it was previously expected to be only 10%.
As per a filing in August 2022, PepsiCo reported that it had a total of 299,297 permanent employees by the end of 2021 in addition to 11,103 temporary employees bringing the total number of employees heading into 2022 to 310,400.
It was not specified exactly how many employees or teams would be affected other than the vague usage of the word “hundreds.”
The company recently made headlines after running a holiday campaign with contentious actress Lindsay Lohan that showed the star indulging in a drink called “Pilk,” a combination of milk mixed with Pepsi.
“Combining Pepsi and milk has long been a secret hack among Pepsi fans,” Pepsi’s Chief Marketing Officer Todd Kaplan said in a company release regarding the new campaign. “Now with the rise of the ‘dirty soda’ trend on TikTok and throughout the country, we thought Pilk and Cookies would be a great way to unapologetically celebrate the holidays with a new and delicious way to enjoy Pepsi this season.”
PepsiCo was up over 9% in a one-year period as of late Tuesday afternoon, even as layoffs loom.
Top company legal minds assemble in New York City to discuss integrity as a performance accelerator.
Press Release –
updated: Mar 1, 2018
NEW YORK, March 1, 2018 (Newswire.com)
– The Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, announced today a roster of company legal practitioners anchoring a diverse faculty at Ethisphere’s 10th Annual Global Ethics Summit, March 14-15 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.
A special selection of current and former General Counsels (GC) and Deputy GCs will offer candid insights through interactive sessions with peers and other company officers highlighting some of the unique angles on corporate behavior today. Each leader will speak on a distinct range of topics impacting corporate integrity and performance in a global business environment rife with both opportunities and pitfalls.
Among those topics are the emerging impact of artificial intelligence, global compliance team management, influence at the executive level, board-level relationship building, career-shaping, key insights into anti-bribery and corruption, careful execution through times of crisis, progressing the “speak up” culture and more.
First-time members of the faculty leadership include:
Trish Walsh, Chief Legal Officer, Voya Financial, Inc.
Rich Rothberg, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Dell
Ann D. Davidson, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, L3 Technologies
Guillermo Bichara, Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Praxair, Inc.
Gregory L. Riggs, Former Senior Vice President – General Counsel and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Delta Air Lines, Inc.
David Pitofsky, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, News Corp.
David Deitchman, Deputy General Counsel, Global Functions, Ethics & Compliance, HP Inc.
Michele M. Brown, SVP, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel, Leidos
Callie Pappas, Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer & Deputy General Counsel, Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.
Tushar Chawla, General Counsel, India, JLL
Glenn Leon, SVP & Deputy General Counsel, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Among those returning to the Global Ethics Summit to offer new insights and advancements are:
David Howard, Corporate VP and Deputy GC, Litigation, Competition Law and Compliance, Microsoft Corporation
Lucy Fato, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, AIG
Edward A. Ryan, Former Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel, Marriott International, Inc.
Richard Buchband, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, ManpowerGroup
Lynn Haaland, SVP, Deputy General Counsel, Global Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer and Chief Counsel, Cybersecurity, PepsiCo, Inc.
Kathryn Ditmars, Global Litigation Director and General Counsel, Americas, JLL
Drawing from Ethisphere’s Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) community and further enriched from a broad selection of additional multinational companies, the Global Ethics Summit is the premier annual event connecting some of the most respected and diverse company leaders. Senior representatives come together to share forward-thinking practices and amplify the need for greater application of values ethical culture, and responsible practices. CEOs, board members, GCs/CLOs, corporate secretaries, chief compliance officers, law firm partners, and other influencers participate in the Summit to examine together the ways in which companies can make a difference in doing good.
“Throughout the Summit, there will be more than 70 speakers each contributing unique perspectives and meaningful advice, but the voices of General Counsels continue to be transcendent as these are roles that are make-or-break for the executive team and the company itself,” said Kevin McCormack, Vice President of Global Thought Leadership & Programs at Ethisphere. “You simply cannot have the proper calibration of many of the issues addressed at the Summit without GCs in the mix. They are a universal connector when it comes to balancing risk, integrity, culture, and strategy within the organization. From the GCs involved each year, we see that while they may represent very different organizations and industries, there is a shared purpose and commitment to continuous improvement enabling companies to perform better while keeping their values intact.”
Join these leaders and other influencers among over 400 delegates as the Global Ethics Summit celebrates its 10th Anniversary March 14-15, 2018 at the Grand Hyatt New York City. Registration remains open but is closing soon: https://www.globalethicssummit2018.com.
About Ethisphere
The Ethisphere® Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust, and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition program provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with Ethisphere Magazine. Ethisphere is also the leading provider of independent verification of corporate ethics and compliance programs, including Ethics Inside® Certification and Compliance Leader Verification™. More information about Ethisphere can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.
