Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Daiwa Securities Group increased its Coca-Cola stake by 7% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 843,606 shares worth about $59 million.
• Insiders were net sellers over the last 90 days, including Chairman James Quincey’s sale of 200,000 shares; total insider sales reached 255,505 shares worth about $20.2 million.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on Coca-Cola, with 15 Buy ratings and a consensus price target of $86.80, while the company also recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 7.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 843,606 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 55,549 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in CocaCola were worth $58,976,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Verus Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 8,830 shares of the company's stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the fourth quarter worth approximately $158,000. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,759,546 shares of the company's stock worth $123,010,000 after purchasing an additional 79,946 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 9,567 shares of the company's stock worth $669,000 after purchasing an additional 685 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Greenspring Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 124.9% during the fourth quarter. Greenspring Advisors LLC now owns 16,257 shares of the company's stock worth $1,137,000 after purchasing an additional 9,027 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman James Quincey sold 200,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.90, for a total value of $15,780,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 78,155 shares in the company, valued at $6,166,429.50. This trade represents a 71.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,371,383.25. This represents a 57.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 255,505 shares of company stock worth $20,187,007 over the last 90 days. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Truist Financial set a $85.00 price target on CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group upped their price target on CocaCola from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Citigroup upped their price target on CocaCola from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, CocaCola currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $86.80.

Trending Headlines about CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are still being reminded that Coca-Cola has steady demand, disciplined pricing, and product innovation supporting its long-term outlook. Coca-Cola Stock Rises 12.1% YTD: Buy Now or Wait for a Pullback?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s India bottling-unit spin-off idea could unlock hidden value and improve long-term margins if executed well. Coke's $10B India IPO Plan Pops the Top on Hidden Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola is attracting investor attention, but the article does not point to a new catalyst; it mainly reflects heightened market interest in the stock. CocaCola Company (The) (KO) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are comparing KO’s performance with other consumer staples names, which underscores its relative strength but does not change the near-term story by itself. Is Coca-Cola (KO) Outperforming Other Consumer Staples Stocks This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: CFO John Murphy said Coca-Cola is adjusting pricing and packaging because consumer spending is becoming more uneven, signaling pressure on demand from lower- and middle-income shoppers. Coca-Cola Adapts Pricing Strategy as Consumer Spending Patterns Diverge (KO)
• Negative Sentiment: New warnings about consumer weakness and “Middle East risks” may add uncertainty around near-term sales and margin stability. Coca-Cola (KO) Sounds the Alarm on Consumers and Warns of ‘Middle East Risks’

CocaCola Trading Down 2.4%

NYSE:KO opened at $76.91 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $78.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $75.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $330.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.18, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.36. CocaCola Company has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $82.66.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $12.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.24 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 40.55% and a net margin of 27.80%.CocaCola's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.73 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.67%.

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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