CocaCola Company (The) $KO Stake Increased by Merit Financial Group LLC

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group boosted its stake in The Coca‑Cola Company by 12.1% in Q4 to 231,689 shares (about $16.20 million), with institutional investors owning roughly 70.26% of the stock.
• Insiders have been net sellers: executives (e.g., Monica Howard Douglas and Bruno Pietracci) sold large blocks and insiders disposed of 892,925 shares (~$70.25 million) over the last quarter, leaving insiders with 0.90% ownership.
• Fundamentals and outlook: Coca‑Cola beat quarterly EPS estimates, set FY2026 guidance of $3.210–3.240, raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (2.8% yield), and carries a Wall Street consensus "Buy" with a $85 target (UBS raised its target to $90).

Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 12.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 231,689 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 25,068 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in CocaCola were worth $16,197,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in CocaCola by 38.1% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 111,598 shares of the company's stock worth $7,802,000 after acquiring an additional 30,786 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd boosted its stake in CocaCola by 82.3% in the third quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 49,700 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,296,000 after acquiring an additional 22,444 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 2.9% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,051,957 shares of the company's stock valued at $136,086,000 after purchasing an additional 57,407 shares during the last quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 42.3% during the 3rd quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. now owns 185,000 shares of the company's stock worth $12,269,000 after purchasing an additional 55,000 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 10,408,798 shares of the company's stock worth $690,311,000 after purchasing an additional 198,886 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In related news, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total value of $1,847,595.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,371,383.25. This represents a 57.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 28,765 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.41, for a total transaction of $2,284,228.65. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $75.20 on Friday. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $82.00. The company has a market cap of $323.68 billion, a PE ratio of 24.74, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.36. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $77.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $72.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a positive change from CocaCola's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio is 69.74%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 price objective on CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 target price on CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $85.00.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS nudged its view higher, raising its price target to $90 and keeping a Buy — a formal analyst upgrade that can support further buying interest. UBS Turns Slightly More Positive on Coca‑Cola (KO)
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish writeups highlight strong 2026 performance (KO up ~9% YTD in one report) and renewed analyst optimism — brings momentum and potential upward pressure if sentiment continues. Coca‑Cola (KO) Stock Surges 9% in 2026 as Wall Street Eyes Further Gains
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend safety and longevity remain a tailwind: coverage comparing KO vs. JNJ underscores Coca‑Cola’s multi‑decade dividend track record (63rd consecutive increase), which supports income‑oriented demand. Coca‑Cola vs. Johnson & Johnson: The Safest Dividend on Wall Street Might Surprise You
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary (TipRanks, Zacks) and “trending stock” coverage reinforce investor attention — increased visibility can lift flows and volatility in KO shares. Coca‑Cola (KO) Keeps Delivering as Markets Turn Ugly. The Bull Case Still Holds
• Positive Sentiment: Options‑flow analysis suggests traders are positioning for upside — a signal that institutional/options activity may be skewing toward offensive bets on KO. Coca‑Cola Stock Is Typically A Defensive Name. Options Data Says It’s Time To Go On The Offense.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca‑Cola FEMSA filed its 2025 Form 20‑F with the SEC — a routine corporate disclosure for the bottler that’s largely administrative but worth noting for regional exposure and subsidiary transparency. Coca‑Cola FEMSA Files 2025 Form 20‑F Annual Report With U.S. SEC
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership change: Tapaswee Chandele will become global chief people officer on May 1 — important for culture/talent execution but not an immediate revenue catalyst. Coca‑Cola’s New People Chief And What It Means For KO Investors

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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