Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Stock

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) had its price target increased by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $84.00 to $88.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 12.17% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Bank of America increased their target price on CocaCola from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $80.43.

CocaCola Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $78.46 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $337.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.98, a PEG ratio of 3.97 and a beta of 0.36. CocaCola has a one year low of $62.91 and a one year high of $78.86. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $71.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $69.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.10, for a total value of $26,046,230.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 342,546 shares in the company, valued at $26,410,296.60. The trade was a 49.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Henrique Braun sold 40,390 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.93, for a total transaction of $2,864,862.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 62,621 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,441,707.53. This trade represents a 39.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 549,528 shares of company stock valued at $41,051,826 in the last 90 days. 0.97% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CocaCola

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,846,270,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 367,441,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,996,519,000 after purchasing an additional 6,241,163 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in CocaCola by 7,239.2% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,149,632 shares of the company’s stock worth $435,086,000 after purchasing an additional 6,065,840 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in CocaCola by 15.1% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,592,732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in CocaCola by 343.3% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 4,486,096 shares of the company’s stock valued at $297,518,000 after buying an additional 3,474,015 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on KO to $88 and maintained a Buy rating, giving investors a larger upside case vs. the prior target. Jefferies Raises Target
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank lifted its KO target to $83 (from $82) and reaffirmed a Buy ahead of Q4 results — a modest analyst tailwind that supports current optimism. Deutsche Bank Lifts Target
• Positive Sentiment: KO hit a fresh one‑year high following analyst upgrades and positive coverage, reinforcing momentum into the company’s upcoming quarterly report. 1‑Year High After Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks previews point to Wall Street expectations for KO’s Q4 metrics and note Coca‑Cola’s history of earnings beats — this keeps investor focus on the upcoming print as a potential catalyst. Zacks Q4 Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets flag KO as a trending dividend stock — investor demand for stable, high‑quality dividend names (amid tech volatility) supports multiple buyer flows into KO. KO Trending Stock Note
• Negative Sentiment: CEO James Quincey disclosed a large sale of 337,824 KO shares (filed with the SEC), materially reducing his reported holdings — an insider sale of this size can create near‑term investor concern about insider sentiment. SEC Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Coca‑Cola will discontinue frozen product offerings (including Minute Maid frozen orange juice concentrate) in the U.S. and Canada — a small revenue contraction in a niche category but potentially a cost/complexity reduction; investors may view the move as mixed to modestly negative for near‑term sales. Discontinue Frozen Products Minute Maid Frozen OJ Ends

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.