CocaCola Company (The) $KO is Premier Fund Managers Ltd's 7th Largest Position

Key Points

• Premier Fund Managers increased its Coca-Cola position by 275.8% in the second quarter, making KO its seventh-largest holding at approximately 1.7% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 70.26% of the stock.
• Coca-Cola beat quarterly expectations with $0.97 EPS versus $0.93 forecast and revenue of $13.37 billion, up 6.2% year over year. The company also declared a $0.53 quarterly dividend, representing a 2.4% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a favorable outlook, with 15 Buy ratings and three Holds producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $95.76. However, the stock’s premium valuation, macroeconomic pressures and recent insider selling remain factors for investors to monitor.

Premier Fund Managers Ltd raised its position in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 275.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 221,818 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 162,800 shares during the period. CocaCola makes up approximately 1.7% of Premier Fund Managers Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Premier Fund Managers Ltd's holdings in CocaCola were worth $18,327,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company's stock worth $26,200,276,000 after purchasing an additional 5,886,352 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in CocaCola by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 167,850,330 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,734,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,992,327 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in CocaCola by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 89,984,203 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,273,037,000 after purchasing an additional 433,547 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in CocaCola in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,865,807,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 44,018,963 shares of the company's stock worth $3,347,642,000 after buying an additional 3,836,640 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of KO stock opened at $87.66 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $377.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. CocaCola Company has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $90.92. The company's 50-day moving average is $83.51 and its 200 day moving average is $79.81.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. CocaCola's payout ratio is 63.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In other news, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total transaction of $13,313,290.73. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,439,553.27. This trade represents a 35.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.65, for a total transaction of $6,788,925.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 35,393 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,172,982.45. This represents a 68.15% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 1,433,535 shares of company stock worth $121,922,698. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Seaport Research Partners set a $95.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $100.00 price objective (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $93.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.76.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raised outlook and margin gains: Coca-Cola’s improved full-year revenue and earnings guidance, expanding margins, broad-based volume growth and market-share gains reinforce confidence in its operating momentum. Coca-Cola’s Raised Guidance And Margin Gains Might Change the Case for Investing in Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Volume growth supports demand: Recent analysis points to steady global volume growth, suggesting consumers continue to purchase Coca-Cola products despite broader economic pressure. Coca-Cola in Focus as Volume Growth Anchors a Steady Picture
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations remain supportive: Analysts have issued higher earnings forecasts and are preparing for third-quarter results, extending the positive reaction to the company’s latest earnings beat. Coca-Cola reported $0.97 in quarterly EPS versus a $0.93 consensus estimate, with revenue up 6.2% year over year.
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive and income appeal: Commentary continues to highlight KO as a Dividend King and a long-term Warren Buffett-backed holding. That reputation may support demand from investors seeking reliable dividends and relatively defensive consumer-staples exposure. 5 Dividend Kings to Buy and Hold Forever in August
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and sustainability are under debate: Investors are weighing Coca-Cola’s stronger results against whether its recent momentum can persist through the second half of the year. With the stock trading at a premium earnings multiple, further gains may depend on continued execution. The Debates That Matter for KO Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro risks remain: Coverage is monitoring inflation, gasoline prices and consumer spending because higher household costs could pressure demand or reduce purchasing power. Why Is Coca-Cola in Focus as Gasoline Prices Pressure Consumers?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bottler financing news: Coca-Cola İçecek authorized management to seek up to $1 billion in overseas debt for refinancing and growth. The development concerns the regional bottler rather than Coca-Cola directly, so its immediate effect on KO is likely limited. Coca-Cola İçecek Seeks Up to USD 1 Billion in Overseas Debt

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.

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.

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