Insider Selling: CocaCola (NYSE:KO) EVP Sells $1,872,702.00 in Stock

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total value of $1,872,702.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,754,735. This represents a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

CocaCola Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $77.11 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $331.63 billion, a PE ratio of 25.37, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.35. CocaCola Company has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $82.00. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $74.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $71.12.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The company had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.55 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.11%.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citi reaffirmed a buy on KO / stayed constructive on the name, which supports demand from institutional and growth‑oriented analysts. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola’s recent dividend raise and coverage as a Dividend King/Aristocrat reinforce its appeal to income investors and conservative portfolios; that steady payout profile is a structural positive for valuation support. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and trade pieces highlight KO’s digital transformation (marketing, supply‑chain, analytics) as a potential multi‑quarter margin catalyst — a reason for longer‑term upside if execution cuts costs and boosts mix. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and raised targets (multiple firms have buy/overweight ratings and higher price targets, leaving a consensus target above the current price) provide analyst backing for the shares. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature pieces show KO is a “trending” name and gets investor attention — useful context for flows but not an immediate fundamental catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on an alternate Coca‑Cola‑related listing described as a “monster stock” may attract growth‑oriented flows to related tickers but doesn’t materially change KO’s staples profile. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Large, disclosed insider sales this week (CEO James Quincey, EVP Nancy Quan, Bruno Pietracci, CFO reports) represent a clear near‑term sentiment headwind and likely source of fresh supply into the market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage tied these insider sells to immediate selling pressure and short‑term price drops in several headlines, amplifying downside risk for traders focused on near‑term momentum. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CocaCola

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,200,276,000 after purchasing an additional 5,886,352 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in CocaCola by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 167,850,330 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,734,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,992,327 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in CocaCola by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 89,984,203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,273,037,000 after purchasing an additional 433,547 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in CocaCola during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,865,807,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in CocaCola by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 40,289,857 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,816,697,000 after purchasing an additional 1,195,581 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on KO shares. UBS Group raised their target price on CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price target on CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $83.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $87.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of CocaCola from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.33.

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.