CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Buy": Fifteen brokerages rate Coca‑Cola (KO) a Buy with a 12‑month average target of $85, and several analysts (UBS, Jefferies, Wells Fargo) recently raised targets into the mid‑$80s/around $90.
• Financial outlook: KO beat last quarter's EPS ($0.58 vs. $0.56), set FY2026 guidance of $3.21–$3.24 (analysts average 3.23), and Q1 is expected near $0.81, underpinning analyst optimism.
• Dividend and insider activity: Coca‑Cola raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (annualized $2.12, ~2.8% yield), while insiders sold roughly 892,925 shares over the past three months, a notable contrast for investors.

Shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Buy" from the fifteen brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $85.00.

Several brokerages have weighed in on KO. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect a resilient Q1: UBS and other outlets project roughly $0.81 EPS for Q1, signaling steady demand and the potential for an earnings beat that could support the stock. Coca‑Cola Q1 earnings set to show resilience amid uncertain backdrop
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional interest: reports that Steve Cohen’s Point72 has been aggressively buying certain names (including KO in coverage) suggest smart‑money conviction that could provide upside momentum. Steve Cohen's Point72 Is Aggressively Buying These 3 Stocks. Here's Why They're Worth A Closer Look
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic shift and pricing power: coverage highlights Coca‑Cola’s pivot from a pure dividend narrative toward growth initiatives and consistent pricing (roughly +4% pricing actions), supporting margins in a cost‑inflation environment. That reinforces medium‑term earnings durability. Forget the Dividend Narrative. Coca‑Cola Has Quietly Pivoted Its Growth Strategy.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus expectations: multiple outlets (Zacks, Yahoo) flag that Wall Street broadly expects modest earnings growth next week — this sets a low bar but also raises sensitivity to any revenue or margin miss. Coca‑Cola (KO) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing strategy under scrutiny: analysts note KO is leaning on price increases and value offers to offset volume pressure — sustainable if consumers accept prices, but a risk if lower‑income consumers pull back. Coca‑Cola's Pricing Strategy: Sustainable in a Softening Market?
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term selling pressure: market reports show KO has fallen more steeply than the broader market today, reflecting profit‑taking, cautious positioning ahead of the earnings release, and sensitivity to short‑term macro news. Coca‑Cola (KO) Falls More Steeply Than Broader Market: What Investors Need to Know

CocaCola Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of KO opened at $74.79 on Wednesday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $77.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $73.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $321.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.60, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.36. CocaCola has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $82.00. 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 - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.55 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. On average, analysts predict that CocaCola will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.53 dividend. This is an increase 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 dividend yield of 2.8%. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.74%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.10, for a total value of $26,046,230.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 342,546 shares in the company, valued at $26,410,296.60. This trade represents a 49.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total value of $7,996,723.54. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 410,550 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,016,431. This trade represents a 19.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of CocaCola

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its stake in CocaCola by 438.8% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 357 shares during the period. Marquette Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of CocaCola in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

CocaCola Company Profile

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.

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