49,888 Coca-Cola Company (The) $KO Shares Sold by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Key Points

• Commonwealth Equity Services cut its Coca-Cola stake by 3.9%, selling 49,888 shares in the third quarter; it retained 1,219,552 shares valued at about $105 million.
• Coca-Cola beat quarterly estimates, reporting earnings of $0.91 per share and revenue of $13.35 billion, up 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; analysts’ average price target was $97.26.

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC trimmed its holdings in Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 3.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,219,552 shares of the company's stock after selling 49,888 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC's holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $104,979,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of KO. Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 10.0% in the third quarter. Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,176 shares of the company's stock valued at $359,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Collaborative Fund Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 73.5% during the 3rd quarter. Collaborative Fund Advisors LLC now owns 11,954 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 5,063 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC raised its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 7,718 shares of the company's stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. Bfsg LLC lifted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bfsg LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the company's stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sageworth Trust Co lifted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sageworth Trust Co now owns 4,558 shares of the company's stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

Shares of KO opened at $95.69 on Friday. Coca-Cola Company has a 12-month low of $67.27 and a 12-month high of $97.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The company has a market cap of $411.63 billion, a PE ratio of 28.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 0.28. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $89.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.69.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $13.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.92 billion. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 28.65% and a return on equity of 38.79%. Coca-Cola's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.82 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Coca-Cola's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.35%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Coca-Cola from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $86.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $93.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners set a $95.00 price objective on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Coca-Cola presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $97.26.

Key Coca-Cola News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola shares reportedly reached a record high as investors sought defensive stocks amid a market downturn. Its established brands and dividend income may be attracting buyers looking for more resilient businesses. Coca-Cola Stock Hits Record High as Market Crashes
• Positive Sentiment: Recent articles point to Coca-Cola’s shelf presence, distribution reach and consumer habits as sources of a durable competitive advantage. The company’s ability to raise prices while still growing volume supports the long-term investment case. Coca-Cola Stock Is a Buy Thanks to Shelf Space and Habits
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on the company’s 64 consecutive years of dividend increases. Its latest quarterly results beat estimates, with revenue up year over year, and coverage says the company raised its outlook and dividend—supporting its earnings and income appeal. Coca-Cola Earnings Beat Lifts Guidance and Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion despite higher marketing spending, supported by productivity gains and disciplined pricing, suggests Coca-Cola is balancing investment with profitability. Can Coca-Cola Keep Expanding Margins While Investing More?
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares, but the reported sale was to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, making it a limited signal about her view of the business. Coca-Cola EVP Share Sale
• Negative Sentiment: After a strong run this year and a move to record levels, valuation may constrain further gains; one dividend-focused article suggests prospective investors consider waiting before buying. Coca-Cola’s Dividend Record and Valuation

Insider Activity at Coca-Cola

In related news, insider Sanket Ray sold 9,958 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were 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 approximately $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $20,186,798.70. The trade was a 18.29% 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 90 days, insiders have sold 238,871 shares of company stock worth $21,918,267. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

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.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.

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.