Kentucky Retirement Systems Has $23.84 Million Stake in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 30th, 2026

Kentucky Retirement Systems raised its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 28.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 313,543 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 69,378 shares during the quarter. CocaCola comprises 0.8% of Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in CocaCola were worth $23,845,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new stake in CocaCola during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its stake in CocaCola by 438.8% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in CocaCola in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In other news, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $34,960,398.48. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 122,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,842,608.29. This represents a 78.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.65, for a total transaction of $6,788,925.55. Following the sale, the insider owned 35,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,172,982.45. This represents a 68.15% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 975,632 shares of company stock valued at $78,621,241 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on KO shares. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $93.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of CocaCola from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.56.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on KO

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and higher guidance supported the rally. Coca-Cola reported adjusted earnings of $0.97 per share versus the $0.93 consensus, while revenue reached approximately $13.37 billion, ahead of expectations. Global unit-case volume increased 5%, and management raised its 2026 outlook for organic revenue growth to about 5% and comparable EPS growth to 9%-10%. Coca-Cola Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year Guidance
Positive Sentiment: World Cup marketing helped drive unusually strong consumption. Coca-Cola said FIFA World Cup activity contributed to its best quarterly volume growth in 17 years. The company also gained value share through pricing, product mix, zero-sugar beverages, and Fairlife, indicating resilience despite uneven consumer spending. Coca-Cola hails World Cup hydration breaks as it lifts annual forecasts
Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their expectations. Jefferies lifted its price target to $104, while TD Cowen and Citigroup raised targets to $100. JPMorgan increased its target to $96, and Bank of America maintained a Buy rating with a $100 target, citing “best-in-class” consumption trends.
Positive Sentiment: Brand strength and digital engagement remain long-term positives. Coverage highlighted Coca-Cola’s broad moat, reliable dividend, and expanded digital and social-media reach during the World Cup, reinforcing the investment case for steady long-term growth. Coca-Cola Dominated the Summer’s Biggest Sporting Event
Neutral Sentiment: Most Fairlife production has resumed after a cyberattack, reducing the likelihood of a prolonged operational disruption. Coca-Cola says most of Fairlife’s production has been resumed after cyberattack
Negative Sentiment: Valuation and a dissenting analyst view temper optimism. Coca-Cola trades at roughly 28 times earnings after gaining more than 20% in 2026. HSBC downgraded the stock to Hold, arguing upside may be limited and that PepsiCo offers better value.
Negative Sentiment: An insider sold 75,727 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards. Because the sale was planned and tax-related, it is a limited negative signal rather than a clear change in management’s outlook.

CocaCola Stock Performance

KO opened at $89.30 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $90.92. The business has a 50 day moving average of $81.77 and a 200-day moving average of $78.53. The stock has a market cap of $384.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.82, a PEG ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.34.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The business had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s payout ratio is 66.67%.

About CocaCola

(Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.