First National Trust Co Grows Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Institutional investors increased their stakes in Coca-Cola, with First National Trust Co boosting its position by 24.6% in the fourth quarter. Large holders like Vanguard, State Street, and Franklin Resources also added shares, and about 70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutions.
• Coca-Cola reported solid quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.86 versus the $0.81 consensus and revenue of $12.47 billion, up 11.4% year over year. The company also reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of $3.240 to $3.270.
• Analyst sentiment remains bullish despite valuation concerns, with multiple firms raising price targets and 15 analysts rating the stock a Buy. However, the shares are near their 12-month high, and some recent commentary has raised short-bet and valuation worries.

First National Trust Co increased its position in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 24.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 146,612 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 28,915 shares during the period. First National Trust Co's holdings in CocaCola were worth $10,250,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in CocaCola by 0.6% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 165,858,003 shares of the company's stock worth $11,083,296,000 after purchasing an additional 923,278 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in CocaCola by 15.1% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company's stock worth $2,592,732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,198 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in CocaCola by 2.8% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 28,051,787 shares of the company's stock worth $1,860,395,000 after purchasing an additional 770,235 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in CocaCola by 5.5% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 26,721,843 shares of the company's stock worth $1,772,193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,393,760 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America Securities initiated or reiterated a Buy on Coca-Cola, reinforcing confidence in the company’s earnings durability and long-term outlook. Coca-Cola (KO) Gets a Buy from Bank of America Securities
• Positive Sentiment: Articles emphasizing Coca-Cola as a dividend-growth blue chip and one of Warren Buffett’s favored holdings support the stock’s appeal as a stable, income-oriented investment. Warren Buffett earns a 20% dividend yield-on-cost with Coca-Cola stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage notes that soft-drink companies are still navigating margin and tariff pressures, which could affect the sector but does not point to a Coca-Cola-specific problem. 5 Soft Drinks Stocks to Track Amid Margin & Tariff Pressures
• Neutral Sentiment: Several comparison and “best stock” articles kept Coca-Cola in the spotlight, including bullish long-term income lists and a KO vs. Celsius debate, but these were mostly opinion-driven rather than new fundamentals. Coca-Cola vs. Celsius: Which Consumer Goods Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: One recent article framed Coca-Cola as a potential short candidate because the shares have rallied sharply and now trade near highs, raising valuation concerns despite solid fundamentals. Coca-Cola or Philip Morris: Which Is the Better Short Bet Right Now?

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In related news, CEO James Quincey sold 250,688 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.14, for a total value of $19,839,448.32. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 278,155 shares in the company, valued at $22,013,186.70. This trade represents a 47.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total transaction of $2,559,411.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,074,096.90. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 786,726 shares of company stock worth $62,547,977 over the last quarter. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of KO opened at $81.56 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $350.90 billion, a PE ratio of 25.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.35. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $77.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $74.65. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $82.66.

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

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of CocaCola from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, CocaCola has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $86.80.

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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