Flputnam Investment Management Co. Has $43.91 Million Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Flputnam Investment Management increased its Coca-Cola position by 42.1% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 540,283 shares worth approximately $43.9 million. Institutional investors own 70.26% of KO.
• Coca-Cola reported quarterly earnings of $0.97 per share and revenue of $13.37 billion, beating estimates, with revenue up 6.2% year over year. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $3.27–$3.30 and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $95.76, but insider selling is a notable caution: insiders sold 1.59 million shares worth about $136.6 million over the last quarter.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. grew its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 42.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 540,283 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 160,073 shares during the period. CocaCola comprises about 0.5% of Flputnam Investment Management Co.'s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Flputnam Investment Management Co.'s holdings in CocaCola were worth $43,909,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new position in CocaCola during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in CocaCola in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Guardian Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the second quarter worth about $27,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,186,798.70. The trade was a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total transaction of $34,960,398.48. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 122,833 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,842,608.29. The trade was a 78.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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 quarter, insiders have sold 1,594,900 shares of company stock worth $136,568,617. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

CocaCola Stock Performance

KO opened at $89.63 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $385.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.33. The business's 50-day moving average price is $85.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $80.83. CocaCola Company has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $92.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

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

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders 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 is 63.66%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on KO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $86.00 price target (up from $82.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $100.00 target price (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $93.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $95.76.

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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