CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Shares Up 2.5% Following Strong Earnings

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) shares shot up 2.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $79.05 and last traded at $78.7020. 22,411,877 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 12% from the average session volume of 19,985,041 shares. The stock had previously closed at $76.81.

The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $11.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.04 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 41.31%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.55 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets and reiterated buy/overweight views (UBS to $87, JPMorgan to $83, TD Cowen $85), giving KO visible upside from current levels and supporting investor buying. UBS raises Coca‑Cola target
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary broadly remains bullish after the quarter — research notes highlight resilient margins, pricing power and durable cash flow that support dividends and buybacks. Analysts trending StrongBuy
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat and other coverage point to institutional accumulation and a thesis that KO can still reach the mid‑$80s on steady cash flow and capital returns — a supportive backdrop for the stock. MarketBeat: No Rally? Coca‑Cola’s Results Still Look Like a Sweet Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat consensus ($0.58 vs. ~$0.56) and the company reiterated FY‑2026 EPS guidance (3.210–3.240), providing some reassurance on profit and shareholder returns. Zacks: Q4 EPS beat
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue disappointed (miss vs. consensus), and management’s conservative/top‑line guidance and a one‑off impairment (BODYARMOR trademark) have kept some investors cautious — these items drove the initial post‑earnings pullback. Reuters: Coca‑Cola misses Q4 revenue
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation pushback: some analysts/commentary warn KO is trading at a premium to peers after the recent run, tempering upside for new entrants. Seeking Alpha: Valuation concerns

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on KO. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial set a $85.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, CocaCola has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other CocaCola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.17, for a total value of $2,250,751.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $15,894,396.10. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.10, for a total value of $26,046,230.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 342,546 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,410,296.60. This trade represents a 49.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 509,138 shares of company stock worth $38,186,963 in the last three months. 0.97% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in CocaCola by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC increased its position in CocaCola by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC now owns 70,088 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,900,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares in the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 105.4% during the fourth quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 14,609 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,021,000 after acquiring an additional 7,495 shares in the last quarter. Walter & Keenan Wealth Management LLC IN ADV grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Walter & Keenan Wealth Management LLC IN ADV now owns 39,153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,737,000 after buying an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 357,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,971,000 after purchasing an additional 12,850 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CocaCola Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $338.55 billion, a PE ratio of 25.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 0.36. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $71.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

CocaCola Company Profile

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.