CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) have been assigned an average rating of “Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $84.60.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th.

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Energy‑drink positioning seen as growth catalyst — media picks KO (alongside KDP) as a defensive energy‑drink play that could stabilize returns in 2026 thanks to product innovation and portfolio momentum. Buy 2 Energy Drink Stocks to Stabilize Your Portfolio Returns in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Long‑term income case highlighted — investment commentary emphasizes KO’s wide moat, steady earnings growth and reliable dividend, supporting buy‑and‑hold appeal for income investors. Could Buying Coca‑Cola Today Set You Up for Life?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend narrative remains a tailwind — personal‑finance pieces continue to model KO as a straightforward way to generate passive income, keeping investor demand among yield‑seeking holders. How much to invest in Coca‑Cola for $1,000 annual dividends in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed capital allocation and ESG focus — Coca‑Cola committed up to $650M to expand Fairlife production (growth/capex) while facing a wave of shareholder proposals on sustainability, plastics, DEI and ingredient risk ahead of the annual meeting. This is a mixed catalyst: growth investment but increased governance/sustainability scrutiny. Should Coca‑Cola’s Fairlife Expansion And ESG Scrutiny Require Action From Coca‑Cola (KO) Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment generally constructive — analyst commentary referenced by outlets shows bullish leanings, which can support sentiment but may already be priced in. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About Coca‑Cola (KO): Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO succession risk — CEO James Quincey says AI acceleration was a factor in his decision to step down, signaling a need for new leadership with AI expertise; leadership transitions can increase near‑term uncertainty about strategy and execution. Major outgoing CEOs are citing AI as a factor in their decisions to step down

CocaCola Trading Up 1.3%

KO opened at $75.70 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The firm has a market cap of $325.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.90, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.35. CocaCola has a 12 month low of $65.35 and a 12 month high of $82.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $76.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.87.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.74%.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In other news, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total value of $1,847,595.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,725 shares in the company, valued at $1,371,383.25. This trade represents a 57.40% 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, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total value of $7,996,723.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 410,550 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,016,431. This represents a 19.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CocaCola

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 82.3% during the 3rd quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 49,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,296,000 after acquiring an additional 22,444 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,051,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $136,086,000 after purchasing an additional 57,407 shares in the last quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. raised its holdings in CocaCola by 42.3% in the 3rd quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. now owns 185,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,269,000 after purchasing an additional 55,000 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in CocaCola by 1.9% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 10,408,798 shares of the company’s stock worth $690,311,000 after purchasing an additional 198,886 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Yeomans Consulting Group Inc. boosted its position in CocaCola by 88.9% during the third quarter. Yeomans Consulting Group Inc. now owns 69,020 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,609,000 after purchasing an additional 32,478 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

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.