CocaCola Company (The) $KO Shares Bought by Benjamin Edwards Inc.

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its Coca-Cola stake by 66% in the second quarter, ending with 185,364 shares valued at approximately $15.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 70.26% of KO shares.
• Coca-Cola reported a quarterly earnings beat, with EPS of $0.97 versus the $0.93 consensus estimate and revenue up 6.2% year over year to $13.37 billion. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $3.27–$3.30.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equal to a 2.4% annualized yield, while analysts maintained a generally positive outlook with a “Moderate Buy” consensus. However, insiders have sold significant amounts of stock recently, creating a potential cautionary signal.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 66.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 185,364 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 73,674 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in CocaCola were worth $15,065,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the fourth quarter worth $3,865,807,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its position in shares of CocaCola by 867.2% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 14,432,190 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,008,954,000 after purchasing an additional 12,939,959 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in CocaCola by 1,206.9% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 10,641,007 shares of the company's stock worth $743,913,000 after purchasing an additional 9,826,768 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in CocaCola by 29.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,182,323 shares of the company's stock worth $2,809,146,000 after purchasing an additional 9,078,447 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors raised its holdings in CocaCola by 98.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,573,527 shares of the company's stock worth $879,015,000 after buying an additional 6,246,627 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CocaCola Stock Performance

KO stock opened at $89.63 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $85.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $80.83. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $92.49. The stock has a market cap of $385.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 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 (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.66%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $86.00 price objective (up from $82.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating and set a $93.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.76.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total value of $10,126,419.45. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,761,319.45. This represents a 72.92% decrease in their position. The sale 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, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 100,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.46, for a total value of $7,946,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 181,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,412,772.64. This trade represents a 35.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 ninety days, insiders have sold 1,594,900 shares of company stock valued at $136,568,617. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

More CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector demand is supporting KO. Market commentary points to Coca-Cola’s stable cash flows and relatively low volatility as attractive while investors seek safety and quality amid changing interest-rate expectations. Why is Coca-Cola drawing steady demand as staples turn defensive today?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Coca-Cola to Rank #2, or “Buy.” The upgrade reflects improving expectations for the company’s earnings prospects and could provide a near-term sentiment boost. Coca-Cola upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating momentum remains constructive. Coca-Cola’s latest quarter included revenue growth of about 6% year over year and an earnings beat, while the company maintains fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $3.27–$3.30.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning is mixed but leans supportive. More institutions added KO shares than reduced them in the latest quarter, with notable additions from JPMorgan, Geode and Capital World Investors, although BlackRock, Capital Research and Invesco trimmed positions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support is positive, but valuation may limit upside. Barclays and JPMorgan maintain “Overweight” ratings, while the reported median price target of $89.50 is close to the current trading level. Commentary also describes the valuation as stretched. Coca-Cola upgraded to Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is a cautionary signal. Company insiders made 30 open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months, including substantial sales by Chairman James Quincey and other senior executives.

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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