19,649 Shares in CocaCola Company (The) $KO Acquired by Delta Global Management LP

Key Points

• Delta Global Management LP initiated a new position in Coca-Cola, buying 19,649 shares valued at about $1.37 million in the fourth quarter.
• Institutional ownership in KO remains very high, with hedge funds and other investors holding 70.26% of the company; several large firms, including Norges Bank and Vanguard, also increased or added to their stakes.
• Coca-Cola continues to look attractive to investors thanks to strong earnings and dividend appeal, with the latest quarter topping estimates and the company paying a $0.53 quarterly dividend, yielding about 2.6%.

Delta Global Management LP purchased a new position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 19,649 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,374,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in KO. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,865,807,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 867.2% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 14,432,190 shares of the company's stock worth $1,008,954,000 after buying an additional 12,939,959 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1,206.9% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 10,641,007 shares of the company's stock worth $743,913,000 after buying an additional 9,826,768 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 98.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,573,527 shares of the company's stock worth $879,015,000 after buying an additional 6,246,627 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company's stock worth $26,200,276,000 after buying an additional 5,886,352 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola is being highlighted by analysts and market writers as a defensive staple and a low-beta stock that can help investors navigate inflation and rate volatility, which supports its appeal in uncertain markets. Inflationary Woes Continue Despite End of Iran War: 5 Defensive Picks
• Positive Sentiment: KO is also being featured in dividend-focused articles as a “Dividend King” and a stock near record highs, reinforcing the market’s confidence in its long-term cash generation and income stability. 3 Dividend Kings With Income, Stability, and a Possible Catalyst
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces frame Coca-Cola as a strong consumer-staples holding versus peers like Keurig Dr Pepper, suggesting investors still view KO as a premium brand with scale and pricing power. Coca-Cola vs. Keurig: Which Beverage Stock Should Investors Choose?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also points to cost-saving initiatives and operating efficiencies helping offset commodity inflation and support margins, which is constructive for earnings durability. Are Coca-Cola's Cost-Saving Initiatives Boosting Profitability?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s Smartwater expansion through PVOLVE studios is a brand-building move that could help visibility, but it looks more like a marketing partnership than a near-term financial catalyst. Coca-Cola Expands Smartwater Reach Through PVOLVE Studios
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the supportive commentary, KO has recently pulled back from its highs, and one market report noted the stock fell as broader market sentiment improved, suggesting investors may be rotating out of defensives. Coca-Cola (KO) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know

Analyst Ratings Changes

KO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $84.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised CocaCola from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $86.69.

CocaCola Stock Performance

KO stock opened at $80.29 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $345.44 billion, a PE ratio of 25.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.35. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $84.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $78.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.81.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.24 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 40.55% and a net margin of 27.80%.The company's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.73 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio is presently 66.67%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total transaction of $2,559,411.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,074,096.90. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.46, for a total value of $7,946,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 207,400 shares in the company, valued at $16,480,004. The trade was a 32.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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. Insiders have sold 899,905 shares of company stock valued at $71,832,315 in the last ninety days. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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