Jim Cramer’s Lightning Round: 9 Stocks in Spotlight

2. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 58

While Cramer acknowledged PepsiCo, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:PEP) CEO’s performance and the stock’s yield, he said it has become “too hard”.

“You know, I think Ramon Laguarta is doing such a good job but the odds are… If you have the Fed cutting rates, you shouldn’t own the stock. If you have the GLP-1s, you shouldn’t own the stock. If you have people saying that junk food is not good for you, you can’t own the stock and it’s just become just too darn hard. So even though it’s got a 3.5% yield, I do think it goes, unfortunately, I have to say it, I think it goes lower.”

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) is a global leader in the production, marketing, and distribution of a wide range of beverages and snack foods, offering products under popular brands like Lay’s, Gatorade, Pepsi, Doritos, Tropicana, and Aquafina. During CNBC’s Mad Dash, Cramer talked about the company and said:

“Well, PepsiCo has owned half of Sabra and for $500 million, they’re buying the other half. The reason why I mention this is because PepsiCo has been doing much to make its product lineup healthier. They’ve taken a lot of salt out, they’ve gone more natural colors and just as RFK Jr. is going after Fruit Loops, I think that Ramon Laguarta is positioning his portfolio to be able to say, look, we are doing what we can. And they added chips, by the way, for people who think that there’s not a lot of value. They’re fighting shrinkflation and I just think he’s being very forward. This acquisition shows me that not everybody is going in the wrong direction. So I just applaud this acquisition… But I guess it’s more of a metaphorical issue. I think that they’re doing what they can and that’s very smart. I told Ramon, you know, the stock is incredibly hard to own.”

On November 22, PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) revealed that it had reached an agreement to acquire the remaining 50% stake in Sabra Dipping Company, LLC and PepsiCo-Strauss Fresh Dips & Spreads International GmbH, becoming the sole owner of both entities. These companies are responsible for producing Sabra and Obela products, which are known for their fresh dips.