CocaCola Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:KO)

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) was the target of unusually large options trading on Friday. Investors bought 61,806 call options on the company. This is an increase of 17% compared to the typical volume of 52,940 call options.

More CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual call buying — Investors purchased ~61,806 call options on KO Friday (about 17% above a typical day), signaling short‑term bullish positioning that can amplify upside into upcoming catalysts.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised near‑term and multi‑year EPS forecasts — Analysts lifted Q1/Q2 and FY2026–FY2028 estimates, nudging forward EPS momentum and supporting a higher valuation multiple for KO.
• Neutral Sentiment: Defensive rotation / momentum into blue‑chips — MarketBeat highlighted KO as part of a broader move into defensive, dividend‑paying names as tech cools; that thematic flow helps demand for KO but is macro‑driven. MarketBeat Week in Review
• Neutral Sentiment: Swire Pacific restructuring of its Vietnam Coca‑Cola stake — Corporate-level changes in regional ownership could alter local distribution/partner dynamics; impact on KO is indirect and longer term. Swire Pacific update
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive press on KO as a long‑running dividend name — Inclusion in lists of century‑plus dividend payers/reliable blue‑chips supports buy‑and‑hold interest but is a slow, steady demand factor. 247WallSt dividend article
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling — Several executives disclosed recent share sales (CFO John Murphy sold ~99,437 shares; EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 20,000; EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold multiple blocks). Large insider dispositions can weigh on sentiment even when company fundamentals remain intact. SEC filings: CFO Form 4 EVP Monica Form 4 EVP Beatriz Form 4

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of CocaCola 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 410,550 shares in the company, valued at $33,016,431. The trade was a 19.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.10, for a total transaction of $26,046,230.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 342,546 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,410,296.60. The trade was a 49.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 493,587 shares of company stock worth $38,577,228 in the last ninety days. 0.97% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KO. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors now owns 3,819 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC increased its position in CocaCola by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC now owns 7,738 shares of the company’s stock valued at $541,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the period. Apexium Financial LP raised its stake in CocaCola by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $810,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in CocaCola by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,718,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. Finally, Stockman Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 8,901 shares of the company’s stock valued at $622,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CocaCola Price Performance

KO opened at $81.46 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $350.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.79, a P/E/G ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a 50 day moving average of $74.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $70.82. CocaCola has a 52-week low of $65.35 and a 52-week high of $82.00.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its quarterly 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. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The firm had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.55 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. On average, analysts expect that CocaCola will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors 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 yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on KO. UBS Group boosted their price objective on CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Bank of America raised 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock 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.