Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 2.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,388,368 shares of the company’s stock after selling 36,614 shares during the period. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $112,833,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in KO. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in CocaCola in the 4th quarter valued at $3,865,807,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its holdings in CocaCola by 867.2% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 14,432,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,008,954,000 after purchasing an additional 12,939,959 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in CocaCola by 1,206.9% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 10,641,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $743,913,000 after buying an additional 9,826,768 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in CocaCola by 29.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,182,323 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,809,146,000 after buying an additional 9,078,447 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in CocaCola by 98.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,573,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $879,015,000 after buying an additional 6,246,627 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
KO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $100.00 price target (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group set a $104.00 price objective on CocaCola and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on CocaCola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.76.
CocaCola News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Raised outlook and margin gains: Coca-Cola’s improved full-year revenue and earnings guidance, expanding margins, broad-based volume growth and market-share gains reinforce confidence in its operating momentum. Coca-Cola’s Raised Guidance And Margin Gains Might Change the Case for Investing in Coca-Cola
- Positive Sentiment: Volume growth supports demand: Recent analysis points to steady global volume growth, suggesting consumers continue to purchase Coca-Cola products despite broader economic pressure. Coca-Cola in Focus as Volume Growth Anchors a Steady Picture
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations remain supportive: Analysts have issued higher earnings forecasts and are preparing for third-quarter results, extending the positive reaction to the company’s latest earnings beat. Coca-Cola reported $0.97 in quarterly EPS versus a $0.93 consensus estimate, with revenue up 6.2% year over year.
- Positive Sentiment: Defensive and income appeal: Commentary continues to highlight KO as a Dividend King and a long-term Warren Buffett-backed holding. That reputation may support demand from investors seeking reliable dividends and relatively defensive consumer-staples exposure. 5 Dividend Kings to Buy and Hold Forever in August
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and sustainability are under debate: Investors are weighing Coca-Cola’s stronger results against whether its recent momentum can persist through the second half of the year. With the stock trading at a premium earnings multiple, further gains may depend on continued execution. The Debates That Matter for KO Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Macro risks remain: Coverage is monitoring inflation, gasoline prices and consumer spending because higher household costs could pressure demand or reduce purchasing power. Why Is Coca-Cola in Focus as Gasoline Prices Pressure Consumers?
- Neutral Sentiment: Bottler financing news: Coca-Cola İçecek authorized management to seek up to $1 billion in overseas debt for refinancing and growth. The development concerns the regional bottler rather than Coca-Cola directly, so its immediate effect on KO is likely limited. Coca-Cola İçecek Seeks Up to USD 1 Billion in Overseas Debt
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 35,393 shares in the company, valued at $3,172,982.45. The trade was a 68.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 Sanket Ray sold 9,958 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.50, for a total value of $861,367.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 62,105 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,372,082.50. The trade was a 13.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,433,535 shares of company stock worth $121,922,698. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
CocaCola Trading Down 0.1%
NYSE KO opened at $87.66 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. CocaCola Company has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $90.92. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $83.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $79.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $377.15 billion, a PE ratio of 26.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.33.
CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The firm had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current year.
CocaCola Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.66%.
About CocaCola
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.
Featured Stories
- Five stocks we like better than CocaCola
- The Metals Company’s Big Bet Now Comes Down to a License
- OneSpaWorld Keeps Turning Cruise Demand Into Record Earnings
- Meta and Tesla Are Rebounding From Oversold Levels—Now What?
- AMG’s Alternatives Boom Powers Record Growth
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
