CocaCola Company (The) $KO Position Increased by Ethic Inc.

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. increased its Coca-Cola stake by 15% in the second quarter to 132,230 shares valued at approximately $10.7 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 70.26% of the company.
• Coca-Cola reported quarterly earnings of $0.97 per share, surpassing estimates of $0.93, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $13.37 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53, representing a 2.3% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with 15 Buy ratings and three Holds and an average price target of $95.76. However, insiders have sold shares recently, including executive sales made primarily to cover tax obligations tied to equity awards.

Ethic Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 15.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 132,230 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,217 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in CocaCola were worth $10,746,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Louisbourg Investments Inc. acquired a new stake in CocaCola during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new position in CocaCola during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CocaCola Trading Up 0.5%

CocaCola stock opened at $90.91 on Friday. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $91.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $391.14 billion, a PE ratio of 27.30, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.33. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $84.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $80.37.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The business had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.66%.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally supportive, with brokers highlighting Coca-Cola as an investment candidate. Recent quarterly results also exceeded expectations, with earnings and revenue above consensus and revenue growth of 6.2% year over year. Brokers Suggest Investing in Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Investors have been seeking established, lower-volatility companies, helping Coca-Cola reach an all-time high and break above $90 for the first time. Its strong brand portfolio and defensive characteristics may be attractive amid market uncertainty. Coca-Cola Hits All-Time High
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s long dividend record continues to support its appeal to income-focused investors. Berkshire Hathaway reportedly receives approximately $848 million annually from its Coca-Cola holdings, underscoring the scale and consistency of the payout. Dividend King Pays Berkshire
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage is also examining Coca-Cola’s cash flow and dividend sustainability as interest rates and bond yields rise. Higher yields could increase the relative appeal of fixed-income investments, although Coca-Cola’s recurring cash generation remains central to its income-investor case. Coca-Cola Cash Flow as Yields Rise
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares worth about $4.5 million. The filing states the sale covered tax withholding tied to vested equity awards, reducing its negative signaling value, though it may create modest near-term selling pressure.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 145,947 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.09, for a total transaction of $13,148,365.23. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 122,833 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,066,024.97. This represents a 54.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,483,535 shares of company stock valued at $126,442,198. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on KO. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $86.00 price objective (up from $82.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Seaport Research Partners set a $95.00 target price on CocaCola in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, CocaCola presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.76.

CocaCola 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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