Captrust Financial Advisors Sells 20,477 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Captrust Financial Advisors trimmed its stake in Coca‑Cola by 1.3% in Q3, selling 20,477 shares and leaving it with 1,525,895 shares valued at about $101.20 million.
• Significant insider selling has occurred recently — insiders disposed of 892,925 shares worth roughly $70.25 million over the last 90 days, including EVP Monica Howard Douglas (23,880 shares) and EVP Nancy Quan (23,556 shares).
• Dividend increased: Coca‑Cola raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (from $0.51), an annualized $2.12 payout representing a ~2.7% yield.

Captrust Financial Advisors cut its stake in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 1.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,525,895 shares of the company's stock after selling 20,477 shares during the quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors' holdings in CocaCola were worth $101,197,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Apexium Financial LP lifted its holdings in CocaCola by 1.2% during the third quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company's stock valued at $810,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 3.9% in the third quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,957 shares of the company's stock worth $262,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% in the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 12,656 shares of the company's stock worth $835,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 14,656 shares of the company's stock valued at $972,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Management Associates Inc lifted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Management Associates Inc now owns 3,915 shares of the company's stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on KO to $90 and maintains a Buy rating — a material analyst upgrade that signals upside versus current levels and can support investor demand. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and reports point to zero‑sugar variants (Coke Zero Sugar, Sprite Zero Sugar) as a margin and pricing tailwind, helping volume growth and profitability as consumers shift to low‑calorie options. This reinforces KO’s ability to expand margins even if top‑line growth is modest. Zacks: Is Zero Sugar Acting as a Margin Driver
• Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola secured a high‑profile Sprite sponsorship with the NBA, increasing brand exposure for Sprite and supporting marketing-driven volume gains in a key demographic. This is especially relevant as the company pushes flavored and zero‑sugar innovations. MSN: Sprite back to the NBA
• Positive Sentiment: KO appears on a “high‑yielding stocks to buy” list, which can attract income‑focused investors given Coca‑Cola’s dividend profile. Inclusion in retail investor lists can help support demand. 247WallSt: High‑Yielding Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate philanthropy: The American Indian College Fund honored Coca‑Cola First Generation Scholars — a reputational/ESG positive but with limited direct near‑term impact on the stock. GlobeNewswire: Coca‑Cola Scholars
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary urges caution: a Seeking Alpha piece recommends a defensive stance on KO, arguing valuation and macro risks may limit near‑term upside — a viewpoint that can weigh on sentiment among growth‑oriented holders. Seeking Alpha: Time To Play Defensive
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting a product shift (new Mango Citrus Sprite Walmart exclusive) and the retirement of long‑serving board member Maria Elena Lagomasino raises governance and valuation questions for some investors—mixed operational upside but also structural change that can introduce near‑term uncertainty. Yahoo Finance: Product Shift & Board Change

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In other news, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total value of $1,847,595.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,371,383.25. The trade was a 57.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total value of $1,872,702.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $17,754,735. This represents a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

CocaCola Price Performance

KO stock opened at $77.61 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.46. The company's fifty day moving average price is $76.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $71.53. CocaCola Company has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $82.00. The company has a market capitalization of $333.77 billion, a PE ratio of 25.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.35.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.04 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 41.31%. CocaCola's quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.55 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.74%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Truist Financial set a $85.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $83.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, CocaCola currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $84.60.

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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