Coca-Cola Stock Earnings Estimates Lifted by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its FY2026 earnings estimate for Coca-Cola to $3.34 per share from $3.29, matching the current analyst consensus. It also issued estimates of $3.53 for FY2027 and $3.78 for FY2028.
• Coca-Cola beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.91 versus $0.88 forecast and revenue of $13.35 billion versus $12.92 billion; revenue rose 7.2% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equivalent to $2.12 annually and a 2.2% yield. Shares were trading near their 52-week high.

Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research upped their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of Coca-Cola in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, November 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $3.34 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $3.29. The consensus estimate for Coca-Cola's current full-year earnings is $3.34 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Coca-Cola's Q2 2027 earnings at $1.02 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $3.53 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.09 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.03 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.78 EPS.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 38.79% and a net margin of 28.65%. The company had revenue of $13.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.82 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $96.00 price target on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $102.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $86.00 price objective (up from $82.00) on shares of Coca-Cola in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $97.26.

Coca-Cola Stock Up 0.9%

KO opened at $96.94 on Wednesday. Coca-Cola has a 12 month low of $67.27 and a 12 month high of $97.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market cap of $417.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 0.28. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $90.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $82.93.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coca-Cola

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KO. Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in Coca-Cola by 1.7% during the third quarter. Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,274 shares of the company's stock valued at $540,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Certified Advisory Corp grew its position in Coca-Cola by 0.3% in the third quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 33,711 shares of the company's stock worth $2,902,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Coca-Cola by 3.6% in the second quarter. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,316 shares of the company's stock worth $270,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 4.4% in the third quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,747 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gill Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 4.1% in the second quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,992 shares of the company's stock valued at $243,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total value of $10,126,419.45. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,761,319.45. This represents a 72.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 249,498 shares of company stock worth $23,025,238. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Coca-Cola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.35%.

Coca-Cola News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its EPS forecasts across several periods, including FY2026 to $3.34 from $3.29 and FY2028 to $3.78 from $3.74. The upward revisions suggest improved analyst expectations, though they are modest. Zacks Research estimate updates
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights Coca-Cola’s strong third-quarter results and growth prospects in functional beverages, including fairlife, Powerade and smartwater. Articles also emphasize the company’s durable brands, cash flow and long record of dividend increases—factors that may appeal to long-term and income-focused investors. Coca-Cola is up since reporting earnings Functional beverage demand
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Nancy Quan sold 20,585 shares, but the filing says the sale covered tax withholding on vested equity awards. She retained 223,330 shares, making the transaction less suggestive of a change in her outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: KO has advanced following earnings and is near its 52-week high, while its forward dividend yield has fallen to around 2.2%. That combination may raise valuation concerns and leave less room for further upside, despite the company’s business strengths. Coca-Cola’s stock gains and dividend yield

About Coca-Cola

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.

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.