Auto Owners Insurance Co Sells 506,500 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Auto Owners Insurance Co decreased its position in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 43,700 shares of the company’s stock after selling 506,500 shares during the quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $2,898,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Apexium Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company’s stock worth $810,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 3.9% in the third quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $262,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% in the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 12,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $835,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC lifted its position in CocaCola by 1.0% during the third quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 14,656 shares of the company’s stock worth $972,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Management Associates Inc lifted its position in CocaCola by 4.0% during the third quarter. Capital Management Associates Inc now owns 3,915 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on KO to $90 and maintains a Buy rating — a material analyst upgrade that signals upside versus current levels and can support investor demand. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and reports point to zero‑sugar variants (Coke Zero Sugar, Sprite Zero Sugar) as a margin and pricing tailwind, helping volume growth and profitability as consumers shift to low‑calorie options. This reinforces KO’s ability to expand margins even if top‑line growth is modest. Zacks: Is Zero Sugar Acting as a Margin Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola secured a high‑profile Sprite sponsorship with the NBA, increasing brand exposure for Sprite and supporting marketing-driven volume gains in a key demographic. This is especially relevant as the company pushes flavored and zero‑sugar innovations. MSN: Sprite back to the NBA
• Positive Sentiment: KO appears on a “high‑yielding stocks to buy” list, which can attract income‑focused investors given Coca‑Cola’s dividend profile. Inclusion in retail investor lists can help support demand. 247WallSt: High‑Yielding Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate philanthropy: The American Indian College Fund honored Coca‑Cola First Generation Scholars — a reputational/ESG positive but with limited direct near‑term impact on the stock. GlobeNewswire: Coca‑Cola Scholars
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary urges caution: a Seeking Alpha piece recommends a defensive stance on KO, arguing valuation and macro risks may limit near‑term upside — a viewpoint that can weigh on sentiment among growth‑oriented holders. Seeking Alpha: Time To Play Defensive
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting a product shift (new Mango Citrus Sprite Walmart exclusive) and the retirement of long‑serving board member Maria Elena Lagomasino raises governance and valuation questions for some investors—mixed operational upside but also structural change that can introduce near‑term uncertainty. Yahoo Finance: Product Shift & Board Change

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on KO. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $84.60.

CocaCola Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE:KO opened at $77.61 on Wednesday. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $82.00. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $76.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $71.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $333.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.74%.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In related news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 28,765 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.41, for a total value of $2,284,228.65. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total transaction of $1,872,702.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,754,735. The trade was a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.