Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Has $138.73 Million Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Artisan Partners reduced its Coca-Cola stake by 21.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 547,392 shares and leaving it with about $138.7 million in KO holdings.
• Coca-Cola continues to draw bullish analyst sentiment, with several firms raising price targets and 15 analysts rating the stock a Buy; the consensus rating remains Moderate Buy with an average target price of $86.69.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue, and it declared a $0.53 quarterly dividend payable July 1, supporting its reputation as a steady income stock.

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership cut its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 21.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,984,345 shares of the company's stock after selling 547,392 shares during the quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership's holdings in CocaCola were worth $138,726,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors raised its position in CocaCola by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors now owns 3,819 shares of the company's stock valued at $275,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC raised its position in CocaCola by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC now owns 7,738 shares of the company's stock valued at $541,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Apexium Financial LP raised its position in CocaCola by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company's stock valued at $810,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in CocaCola by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,886 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,718,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stockman Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in CocaCola by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 8,901 shares of the company's stock valued at $622,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CocaCola News Summary

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

A number of research firms recently commented on KO. Citigroup increased their price target on CocaCola from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. 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 note on Monday, March 16th. Barclays upped their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on CocaCola from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.69.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In related news, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 23,984 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.41, for a total transaction of $2,000,505.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 157,400 shares in the company, valued at $13,128,734. The trade was a 13.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total value of $2,559,411.25. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $18,074,096.90. This represents a 12.40% 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. In the last three months, insiders have sold 899,905 shares of company stock worth $71,832,315. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

CocaCola Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $80.29 on Wednesday. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $84.04. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $75.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The company has a market cap of $345.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.25, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.35.

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

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.67%.

About CocaCola

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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