Aberdeen Group plc Buys 43,346 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Aberdeen Group plc lifted its stake in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 0.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,861,421 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 43,346 shares during the period. CocaCola accounts for about 0.5% of Aberdeen Group plc’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.11% of CocaCola worth $339,862,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Apexium Financial LP lifted 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. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in CocaCola by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 12,656 shares of the company’s stock worth $835,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC boosted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 14,656 shares of the company’s stock worth $972,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Management Associates Inc grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 4.0% in the third quarter. Capital Management Associates Inc now owns 3,915 shares of the company’s stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola plans to invest $1 billion in South Africa through 2030, expanding distribution and capacity in a high‑growth market; that long‑term capex commitment supports revenue upside in emerging markets. Coca‑Cola To Invest $1 Billion In South Africa Through 2030
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank (reported by AmericanBankingNews) is forecasting strong price appreciation for KO, and analyst optimism can help lift sentiment and flows into the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for CocaCola
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Coca‑Cola’s history of earnings surprises and argues KO has the setup to beat again, supporting upside to estimates and helping sentiment ahead of the next report. Will Coca‑Cola (KO) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: KO continues to be highlighted as a reliable dividend stock (Dividend King/Aristocrat narratives), which attracts income-focused and defensive investors amid macro uncertainty. The 5 Safest Dividend Aristocrats Are Perfect For Retirees Needing Growth & Income
• Neutral Sentiment: Coke Florida rolled out limited‑edition America250 cans — a branding/marketing push that supports awareness but is unlikely to move near‑term fundamentals materially. Coca‑Cola Beverages Florida Unveils America250 Commemorative Cans
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent writeups on valuation note mixed short‑term share performance and higher near‑term multiples, which keeps some investors focused on price vs. fundamentals rather than driving a clear buy/sell signal. A Look At Coca‑Cola (KO) Valuation After Mixed Recent Share Performance
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks analyst blog flagged mixed demand and growth challenges alongside other large caps, highlighting potential near‑term headwinds that could cap upside if execution slips. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Exxon, The Coca‑Cola and Uber

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.52, for a total value of $5,833,593.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 279,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,538,916.84. This trade represents a 20.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 28,765 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.41, for a total transaction of $2,284,228.65. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Barclays raised their target price on CocaCola from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup lifted their target price on CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.80.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of KO opened at $76.68 on Friday. CocaCola Company has a 52-week low of $65.35 and a 52-week high of $82.00. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $77.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $330.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.36.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its earnings results 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 analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.55 EPS. The company’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. Research analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

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

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.