293,358 Coca-Cola Company (The) $KO Shares Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Key Points

• Russell Investments cut its Coca-Cola stake by 13.3%, selling 293,358 shares in the third quarter; it retained 1,907,808 shares valued at about $164.3 million.
• Coca-Cola reported quarterly EPS of $0.91 and revenue of $13.35 billion, beating analyst estimates; revenue rose 7.2% year over year.
• Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $97.26. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 13.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,907,808 shares of the company's stock after selling 293,358 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.'s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $164,306,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Banco Santander S.A. boosted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 1,090,758 shares of the company's stock valued at $88,646,000 after purchasing an additional 32,723 shares during the period. CX Institutional increased its position in Coca-Cola by 402.3% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 163,248 shares of the company's stock worth $14,052,000 after buying an additional 130,746 shares during the period. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Coca-Cola by 68.5% in the second quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 218,199 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,733,000 after buying an additional 88,690 shares during the last quarter. Moore Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 2nd quarter valued at $12,905,000. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd increased its stake in Coca-Cola by 439.5% in the third quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 17,851 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,537,000 after purchasing an additional 14,542 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Coca-Cola

These are some of the KO headlines that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighted revenue growth, rising volumes, brand innovation and the company’s positive 2026 outlook as drivers behind KO reaching a 52-week high. Its global distribution network also underpins its growth prospects. Coca-Cola Stock Hits 52-Week High: Should You Buy Now or Wait?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several earnings forecasts, including FY2026 EPS to $3.34 from $3.29 and FY2028 EPS to $3.78 from $3.74, signaling improved expectations for longer-term earnings. Zacks Research earnings estimate updates
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts caution that KO’s valuation is elevated after its run-up, and Zacks Research trimmed its Q1 2028 EPS estimate slightly, from $0.95 to $0.94. These factors could weigh on investor appetite despite the positive business outlook. Coca-Cola Stock Hits 52-Week High: Should You Buy Now or Wait?

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 completion of the sale, the insider owned 41,365 shares in the company, valued at $3,761,319.45. This trade represents a 72.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 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 Coca-Cola 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $20,186,798.70. This represents 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. Insiders sold 249,498 shares of company stock valued at $23,025,238 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KO has been the subject of a number of research reports. BNP Paribas Exane upped their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on Coca-Cola from $104.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings cut Coca-Cola from a "buy (a+)" rating to a "buy (a)" rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Freedom Broker upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $97.26.

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

NYSE:KO opened at $97.40 on Friday. 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 firm has a market cap of $419.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.81 and a beta of 0.28. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $90.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $83.18. Coca-Cola Company has a 1-year low of $67.27 and a 1-year high of $98.38.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 28.65% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The company had revenue of $13.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.92 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.82 EPS. Coca-Cola's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.34 EPS for the current year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. Coca-Cola's payout ratio is 62.35%.

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.

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