What is Zacks Research's Forecast for CocaCola Q3 Earnings?

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised Coca-Cola’s Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $0.87 from $0.86. The company’s full-year 2026 guidance is $3.27–$3.30 per share, compared with a consensus estimate of $3.29.
• Coca-Cola’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.97 versus the $0.93 consensus and revenue of $13.37 billion. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $95.76; Coca-Cola also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, yielding about 2.4% annually.

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of CocaCola in a research note issued on Tuesday, September 8th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $0.87 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.86. The consensus estimate for CocaCola's current full-year earnings is $3.29 per share.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The business's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.87 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on KO. Barclays lifted their price target on CocaCola from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen increased their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $100.00 price target (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.76.

CocaCola Price Performance

KO opened at $87.53 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $376.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.28, a PEG ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a 50-day moving average of $86.47 and a 200-day moving average of $81.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. CocaCola has a 1-year low of $65.35 and a 1-year high of $92.49.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CocaCola

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KO. Eurizon SLJ Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 4th quarter worth approximately $552,000. Banco Santander S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 3.1% during the second quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 1,090,758 shares of the company's stock valued at $88,646,000 after acquiring an additional 32,723 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 3,852,525 shares of the company's stock valued at $269,330,000 after acquiring an additional 31,694 shares during the period. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 68.5% in the 2nd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 218,199 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,733,000 after purchasing an additional 88,690 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,759,546 shares of the company's stock worth $123,010,000 after purchasing an additional 79,946 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, insider Sanket Ray sold 9,958 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.50, for a total value of $861,367.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 62,105 shares in the company, valued at $5,372,082.50. The trade was a 13.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $20,186,798.70. The trade was a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Insiders have sold a total of 926,620 shares of company stock valued at $83,075,714 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. 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 2.4%. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.66%.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher FY2027 earnings estimate: Zacks Research raised its forecast for Coca-Cola’s fiscal 2027 earnings to $3.52 per share from $3.51. Although the increase is modest, it reinforces expectations for continued earnings growth beyond the company’s current-year consensus estimate of $3.29. Zacks Research raises Coca-Cola FY2027 earnings estimate
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend durability supports the defensive case: Coca-Cola has reportedly increased its dividend for 64 consecutive years, strengthening its appeal to income-oriented investors. Its established brands, pricing power and global distribution also position the company as a potential hedge against inflation and a weaker dollar. Coca-Cola’s 64-year dividend increase Coca-Cola as a pricing-power stock
• Positive Sentiment: Management investor presentation: Coca-Cola presented at Barclays’ Global Consumer Staples Conference, giving investors an updated view of strategy and operating priorities. The supplied report does not identify a new guidance change or specific catalyst. Coca-Cola Barclays conference transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Premiumization strategy: Coca-Cola is using pricing, packaging variety and brand strength to sell higher-value products while retaining affordable options. The approach could lift revenue and margins, but investors will monitor whether higher prices weaken demand. Coca-Cola’s premiumization strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive and historical coverage: Articles comparing Coca-Cola with PepsiCo highlight ongoing competition for consumer spending and dividend investors. A report on former executive Brian Dyson’s death is historical and is unlikely to affect current fundamentals. Pepsi versus Coca-Cola comparison Brian Dyson obituary

CocaCola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company NYSE: KO is a global beverage company best known for its Coca-Cola soft drink, which was first introduced in 1886. The company was incorporated in 1892 and has grown into one of the world's largest beverage businesses.

Its portfolio includes sparkling soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite and Fanta, along with water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice and dairy-based beverages. Other brands associated with the company include Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Costa Coffee, fairlife and Topo Chico.

The Coca-Cola Company primarily develops, owns and markets beverage brands, while relying on a global network of independent bottling partners and distributors to manufacture, package and deliver many of its products.

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