CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Trading 1.8% Higher Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) traded up 1.8% during trading on Wednesday after UBS Group raised their price target on the stock from $87.00 to $90.00. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. CocaCola traded as high as $77.37 and last traded at $77.2430. 12,319,801 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 32% from the average session volume of 18,114,730 shares. The stock had previously closed at $75.91.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $85.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CocaCola news, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 410,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,016,431. This represents a 19.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total transaction of $1,872,702.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,754,735. The trade was a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major broker upgrades/target hikes — UBS raised its target to $90 and Deutsche Bank bumped its target to $86 and kept a Buy rating, signaling analyst confidence and providing visible upside for investors. UBS/Benzinga Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Global marketing lift — Coca‑Cola is hosting The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Trophy Tour stop in St. Louis, a large consumer engagement event that supports brand visibility and promotional momentum ahead of a major global sporting cycle. The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Trophy Tour by Coca‑Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/portfolio framing pieces — several outlets question whether recent price strength (~YTD gains) already reflects fundamentals; useful for investors considering entry points but not an immediate catalyst. Is It Time To Reassess Coca‑Cola (KO) At US$77…
• Neutral Sentiment: Regional affiliate note — analysis on Coca‑Cola FEMSA (KOF) highlights distribution strength in Latin America; indirectly relevant to KO via franchise exposure but more pertinent to KOF investors. Coca‑Cola FEMSA: An Irreplicable Logistics Machine…
• Negative Sentiment: Technical weakness — KO slipped below its 50‑day moving average, a short‑term bearish signal cited by multiple pieces; although it remains above the 200‑day average, momentum traders may view this as a sell trigger. Coca‑Cola Slips Below 50‑Day SMA…
• Negative Sentiment: Estimate cuts and modest analyst downtick — Erste trimmed FY2027 EPS slightly, and coverage notes estimate pressure from macro/CPG softness; small downward revisions can sap near‑term sentiment. Erste Group Estimate Revision (MarketBeat)
• Negative Sentiment: Recent intraday dips noted — headlines flagged yesterday’s decline despite broader market gains, reflecting mixed short‑term flows and profit‑taking. Coca‑Cola (KO) Stock Drops Despite Market Gains

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KO. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 13.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 39,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 4,591 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 1st quarter valued at about $210,000. Jump Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 450.5% in the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 39,583 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,800,000 after purchasing an additional 32,392 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BCS Private Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 2nd quarter valued at about $455,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola Trading Up 1.8%

The firm has a market cap of $332.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.36. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $77.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.46.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.