JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Positive Forecast for Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) Stock Price

Key Points

• JPMorgan raised Coca-Cola’s price target to $98 from $95 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, implying approximately 6.7% upside. The broader analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $97.59.
• Coca-Cola reported quarterly adjusted EPS of $0.91, beating the $0.88 consensus, while revenue rose 7.2% year over year to $13.35 billion and exceeded estimates.
• Global demand remained strong, but North American volume was flat and several beverage categories weakened. Investors are also monitoring valuation concerns, IRS litigation and potential pressure from divestitures.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $95.00 to $98.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price would suggest a potential upside of 6.68% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms also recently commented on KO. CICC Research raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Coca-Cola from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Coca-Cola from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $93.00 target price (up from $83.00) on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $97.59.

Coca-Cola Price Performance

NYSE KO traded up $0.69 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $91.86. 8,123,954 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 16,882,568. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $89.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $81.73. The company has a market cap of $395.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.57, a P/E/G ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.32. Coca-Cola has a 1-year low of $67.27 and a 1-year high of $95.37.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%. The company had revenue of $13.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.92 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.82 EPS. The company's revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Coca-Cola will post 3.30 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Coca-Cola news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total value of $10,126,419.45. Following the transaction, the insider owned 41,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,761,319.45. The trade was a 72.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total value of $13,313,290.73. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at $24,439,553.27. The trade was a 35.26% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 323,806 shares of company stock valued at $28,820,577 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Coca-Cola

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Guardian Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Atomic Invest LLC lifted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 38.7% during the second quarter. Atomic Invest LLC now owns 437 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 35.2% during the third quarter. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC now owns 541 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Coca-Cola

Here are the key news stories impacting Coca-Cola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 beat and guidance increase: Coca-Cola reported adjusted EPS of $0.91 versus the $0.88 consensus, while revenue reached approximately $13.4 billion, above the $12.92 billion estimate. Management raised its 2026 comparable EPS-growth forecast to at least 11%, up from 9%-10%, marking the third consecutive outlook increase. Coca-Cola Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Volume Growth, Outlook Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Broad global demand: Global unit-case volume grew 5%, organic revenue increased 7%, and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volume rose 16%. International and emerging-market strength, along with pricing and premium beverages, offset softness in the United States. Coca-Cola Organic Revenue Jumps 7% Despite Flat North America Volumes
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: TD Cowen raised its price target from $100 to $104 and upgraded the shares to “buy,” implying roughly 13% upside from recently quoted levels. TD Cowen Coca-Cola Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s “fridge cigarette” Diet Coke nickname is generating favorable consumer buzz, but the CEO’s comments are more of a branding and engagement story than a material financial catalyst. Coca-Cola CEO Weighs In on Diet Coke Nickname
• Negative Sentiment: Key risks remain: North American volume was flat, with weakness in water, sports drinks, coffee, and tea. Investors are also monitoring ongoing IRS litigation and potential revenue pressure from divestitures, while the stock’s strong 2026 rally raises valuation and profit-taking concerns. Coca-Cola Delivers a Big Earnings Beat

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company NYSE: KO is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1886, it is best known for Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized soft drink brands.

The company owns, licenses, and markets a broad portfolio of beverages, including sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and energy drinks. Its brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, fairlife, and Costa Coffee, among others.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.

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