CocaCola (NYSE:KO) EVP Sells $1,847,595.60 in Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares on March 9 at an average price of $77.37 for $1.847M, cutting her holding by 57.4% (she also sold 20,000 shares on Feb. 25), a disclosure that may concern some investors.
• Dividend increase: Coca‑Cola raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (annualized $2.12) with an ex‑dividend date of March 13 and a yield of about 2.7%, marking another step in its long track record of shareholder returns.
• Fundamentals and Street view: Coca‑Cola beat EPS estimates ($0.58 vs. $0.56) while revenue slightly missed, guided FY2026 EPS to 3.210–3.240, and carries a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Buy" with a $84.33 price target from analysts.

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total transaction of $1,847,595.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,371,383.25. This trade represents a 57.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Monica Howard Douglas also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, February 25th, Monica Howard Douglas sold 20,000 shares of CocaCola stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.16, for a total transaction of $1,603,200.00.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of KO stock traded up $0.49 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $78.29. 4,284,975 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 19,155,822. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $336.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.75, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $75.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $71.17. CocaCola Company has a 52-week low of $65.35 and a 52-week high of $82.00.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 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 business had revenue of $11.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.55 earnings per share. CocaCola's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. Research analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio is currently 67.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 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 MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $84.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. PeakShares LLC bought a new position in shares of CocaCola in the 4th quarter worth $168,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 10,842.4% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 4,781,844 shares of the company's stock worth $33,430,000 after acquiring an additional 4,738,144 shares during the last quarter. Union Savings Bank purchased a new position in CocaCola in the fourth quarter worth $530,000. Cedarwood Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 4th quarter valued at about $275,000. Finally, Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in CocaCola during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board-approved leadership change and another dividend increase signal continuity on shareholder returns — Henrique Braun has been named incoming CEO while current CEO James Quincey will move to Executive Chairman; the board also approved Coca‑Cola’s 64th consecutive annual dividend increase, reinforcing the company’s capital-return focus and appealing to income investors. Coca‑Cola Leadership Shift Puts Focus On Dividend Strength And Cash Flows
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term growth story centered on emerging markets — analysts highlight India, China and ASEAN as primary growth engines as urbanization and rising incomes lift beverage demand, supporting revenue upside over time despite near‑term volatility. Are Emerging Markets Key to Coca‑Cola's Long‑Term Revenue Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend safety spotlight supports KO’s defensive appeal — pieces comparing KO to peers (e.g., PepsiCo, Altria) reinforce KO’s status as a Dividend King and a reliable income hold for conservative portfolios. That coverage tends to attract yield‑focused buyers. Coke vs Pepsi: Which Dividend Is Actually Safer?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor presentation/transcript availability — Coca‑Cola’s Citi Global Consumer & Retail conference presentation transcript was posted, providing detail for analysts but not delivering new headline guidance. Useful for modeling but not an immediate catalyst. The Coca‑Cola Company (KO) Presents at Citi's 2026 Global Consumer & Retail Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by an EVP — Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares (~$1.85M) and reduced her holding by 57.4%, which can spook some investors or be viewed as diversification; the filing is public on the SEC site. SEC Form 4 — Insider Sale

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.

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