CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on Coca-Cola, with 15 buy ratings and three holds among 18 firms. The average 12-month price target is $95.76, with several analysts recently raising targets to $100.
• Coca-Cola exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.97 EPS versus the $0.93 consensus and $13.37 billion in revenue, up 6.2% year over year. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $3.27–$3.30.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equivalent to a 2.3% yield on an annualized $2.12 payout. However, recent insider sales and valuation near fair value may limit near-term upside.

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $95.7647.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $100.00 price objective (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $86.00 target price (up from $82.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Argus lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th.

CocaCola Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $91.94 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $395.59 billion, a PE ratio of 27.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.33. CocaCola has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $92.49. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $84.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.51.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The company had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Analysts expect that CocaCola will post 3.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. CocaCola's payout ratio is currently 63.66%.

More CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola ranked among the leading consumer-staples companies for growth, reinforcing confidence in its ability to expand despite a relatively mature market. Coca-Cola leads consumer staples growth rankings
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts noted that Coca-Cola is adapting to changing consumer health preferences through flagship brands, product diversification and innovation across more beverage occasions. This may help protect long-term sales as consumers reduce consumption of traditional sugary drinks. Coca-Cola Faces Consumer Health Trend Shifts
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola continues to attract attention as a potential long-term dividend compounder, appealing to investors seeking dependable income and stability amid a market environment that has favored speculation. 3 Dividend Stocks to Buy Before August Ends
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 KO shares for approximately $10.1 million, reducing his position by about 73%. The filing said the sale covered tax-withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards, making it less concerning than a discretionary sale but still a potential short-term sentiment overhang. Top Coca-Cola Executive Makes a Major Move
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation analysis suggests KO is closer to fairly valued than clearly undervalued. Its discounted-cash-flow estimate is near the current market price, while earnings multiples appear expensive after an 88% five-year return, potentially limiting upside for new buyers. Coca-Cola Stock Looks Cheap on Cash Flow but Pricey on Earnings

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In related news, Chairman James Quincey sold 145,947 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.09, for a total transaction of $13,148,365.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 122,833 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,066,024.97. The trade was a 54.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,186,798.70. The trade was a 18.29% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders sold 1,594,900 shares of company stock valued at $136,568,617. 0.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in CocaCola by 438.8% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. acquired a new stake in CocaCola in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in CocaCola in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Guardian Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source