PEP vs SCHD Stock Comparison

PepsiCo, Inc. vs Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Data as of Sep 2, 2026· market close· PEP (stock) vs SCHD (ETF)· Coverage 54/66 fields· 30/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictStableAIQ Comparison Conviction 8/10

SCHD leads

SCHD leads by 12 AIQ points, primarily on Risk Resilience and Momentum, but the lead has narrowed from 16 points over 30 sessions.

Stable: 4 of 4 evidence groups support SCHD, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 4 of 4Comparison trend: Weakening
PEP

PepsiCo, Inc.

AIQ Score
55/100
AIQ Edge Score
8/10
SCHD

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Leads
AIQ Score
67/100
AIQ Edge Score
10/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors SCHD over PEP, 67 versus 55 as of Sep 2, 2026. SCHD's advantage is driven primarily by stronger risk resilience and momentum. SCHD also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 4 covered evidence groups favor SCHD today, and the comparison is rated Stable on stability: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. SCHD lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 16 to 12 points over 30 sessions. SCHD leads on all four AIQ factor dimensions. Value is itself one of those four, so a sweep is not explained by valuation alone — it deserves additional scrutiny for unmodeled catalysts, expectations or event risk.

Compare PepsiCo, Inc. and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

PEP advantage
0
SCHD advantage
  • Risk Resilience15%52 vs 73
    SCHD +21
  • Momentum25%59 vs 72
    SCHD +13
  • Quality30%64 vs 76
    SCHD +12
  • Value30%45 vs 50
    SCHD +5

4 of 4 evidence groups favor SCHD. SCHD’s edge is concentrated in risk resilience and momentum.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-01, compared against the prior scored session 2026-08-31.

PEP0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

SCHD0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

SCHD's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — PEP and SCHD both carry a full feed there.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

SCHD

SCHD on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value at 30% each.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

SCHD

SCHD on the peer-relative Value factor, by 5 points.

Momentum

SCHD

SCHD on the Momentum factor, by 13 points.

Lower downside

SCHD

SCHD on Risk Resilience, by 21 points.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ vs Wall Street

Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.

MeasurePEPSCHDNote
Implied upside to target+11.5%Level
Target dispersion+31.1%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusHoldContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering11Higher coverage generally improves confidence

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

4 of 4 covered evidence groups favor SCHD. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreSCHD55 vs 67
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationSCHDValue 45 vs 50
TechnicalsSCHDPrice vs 50-day 1% vs 4.9%; vs 200-day -5.8% vs 12.6%
Risk ResilienceSCHDRisk Resilience 52 vs 73
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of PEP and SCHD and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Stable

The conclusion rests on a wide gap and broad agreement. It is unlikely to turn on a single session.

  • The AIQ gap is wide at 12 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • 4 of 4 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on SCHD.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 20 Sep 1

SCHD lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 16 to 12 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 20PEP leads above the line · SCHD leads belowSep 1
Today
SCHD +12
55 vs 67
7 sessions ago
SCHD +17
51 vs 68
30 sessions ago
SCHD +16
52 vs 68
90 sessions ago
SCHD +14
50 vs 64

The lead has not changed hands in this window.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

PEP

0 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral

  • Death Cross Active bearish, trend, long horizon (6.53%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • MACD Bearish Crossover bearish, momentum, short horizon
SCHDConflicted

4 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (7.75%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon

SCHD leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

PEPNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +1.03%, AIQ 0 points).

SCHDNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.6%, AIQ 0 points).

What would flip this result

A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.

  1. 1PEP closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 21 points behind, the largest single contributor to SCHD's edge.
  2. 2PEP's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
  3. 3SCHD's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 4 points over 30 sessions, and a further 12-point move would eliminate SCHD's advantage entirely.

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Fundamentals

Split
MetricPEPSCHD
Revenue growth (YoY)24.4%
EPS growth (YoY)28.2%
Gross margin54%
Operating margin15%
Return on equity50.4%
Debt to equity2.41

Technicals

SCHD has the stronger structure
MetricPEPSCHD
RSI (14)5562.9
ADX (14)11.734.7
Price vs 50-day1%4.9%
Price vs 200-day-5.8%12.6%
Volatility (1M, annualized)16.5%9.9%

Risk

SCHD is the more resilient
MetricPEPSCHD
Beta-0.260.23
Sharpe ratio-0.31.76
Sortino ratio-0.513.38
Max drawdown-20.9%-5.3%
Current drawdown-17.7%-0.9%
Annualized volatility21.3%11.1%
Value at risk (95%)-2.1%-0.9%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, PEP or SCHD?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, SCHD is the stronger of the two as of Sep 2, 2026, scoring 67 against PEP's 55. The edge comes from risk resilience and momentum. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.

Is PEP or SCHD the better buy right now?

SCHD carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 2, 2026, and the comparison is rated Stable — 4 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. A Stable rating means the gap is wide and the evidence is broad, so the conclusion is unlikely to turn on a single session.

Why does the AIQ Score favor SCHD over PEP?

The composite weights Quality at 30%, Value at 30%, Momentum at 25% and Risk Resilience at 15%. SCHD leads Risk Resilience by 21 points; SCHD leads Momentum by 13 points; SCHD leads Quality by 12 points. SCHD leads on all four AIQ factor dimensions. Value is itself one of those four, so the sweep is not explained by PEP simply being cheaper — it warrants extra scrutiny for unmodeled catalysts, forward expectations or event risk the factors do not capture.

Which has more analyst upside, PEP or SCHD?

Analyst price targets imply +11.5% upside for PEP and not covered for SCHD. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, PEP or SCHD?

SCHD is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. SCHD on the peer-relative Value factor, by 5 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, PEP or SCHD?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, PEP or SCHD?

SCHD on the Momentum factor, by 13 points. Momentum carries 25% of the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, PEP or SCHD?

SCHD is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. SCHD on Risk Resilience, by 21 points. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is PEP more profitable than SCHD?

Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.

Is SCHD's lead over PEP getting stronger or weaker?

SCHD lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 16 to 12 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-04-20 and 2026-09-01. The lead has not changed hands in that window.

What would change the PEP vs SCHD verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: PEP closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 21 points behind, the largest single contributor to SCHD's edge; PEP's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; SCHD's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 4 points over 30 sessions, and a further 12-point move would eliminate SCHD's advantage entirely.

What do the current signals say about PEP and SCHD?

PEP: 0 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral. SCHD: 4 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on PEP is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On SCHD it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Compare PEP and SCHD with others

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.