Kentucky Retirement Systems Has $23.84 Million Stake in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 28.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 313,543 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 69,378 shares during the period. CocaCola accounts for about 0.8% of Kentucky Retirement Systems' investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Kentucky Retirement Systems' holdings in CocaCola were worth $23,845,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in CocaCola by 2.2% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,929,116 shares of the company's stock valued at $222,795,000 after purchasing an additional 64,089 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI bought a new position in CocaCola during the first quarter worth about $721,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 112.4% during the 1st quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 26,978 shares of the company's stock worth $2,052,000 after buying an additional 14,277 shares during the period. Arkadios Wealth Advisors grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 209,500 shares of the company's stock worth $15,932,000 after buying an additional 7,703 shares during the period. Finally, Encore Global Management LP bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 1st quarter valued at about $2,510,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and higher guidance supported the rally. Coca-Cola reported adjusted earnings of $0.97 per share versus the $0.93 consensus, while revenue reached approximately $13.37 billion, ahead of expectations. Global unit-case volume increased 5%, and management raised its 2026 outlook for organic revenue growth to about 5% and comparable EPS growth to 9%-10%. Coca-Cola Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: World Cup marketing helped drive unusually strong consumption. Coca-Cola said FIFA World Cup activity contributed to its best quarterly volume growth in 17 years. The company also gained value share through pricing, product mix, zero-sugar beverages, and Fairlife, indicating resilience despite uneven consumer spending. Coca-Cola hails World Cup hydration breaks as it lifts annual forecasts
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their expectations. Jefferies lifted its price target to $104, while TD Cowen and Citigroup raised targets to $100. JPMorgan increased its target to $96, and Bank of America maintained a Buy rating with a $100 target, citing “best-in-class” consumption trends.
• Positive Sentiment: Brand strength and digital engagement remain long-term positives. Coverage highlighted Coca-Cola’s broad moat, reliable dividend, and expanded digital and social-media reach during the World Cup, reinforcing the investment case for steady long-term growth. Coca-Cola Dominated the Summer's Biggest Sporting Event
• Neutral Sentiment: Most Fairlife production has resumed after a cyberattack, reducing the likelihood of a prolonged operational disruption. Coca-Cola says most of Fairlife's production has been resumed after cyberattack
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and a dissenting analyst view temper optimism. Coca-Cola trades at roughly 28 times earnings after gaining more than 20% in 2026. HSBC downgraded the stock to Hold, arguing upside may be limited and that PepsiCo offers better value.
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sold 75,727 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards. Because the sale was planned and tax-related, it is a limited negative signal rather than a clear change in management’s outlook.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was 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 represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.65, for a total value of $6,788,925.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 35,393 shares in the company, valued at $3,172,982.45. This represents a 68.15% 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 90 days, insiders sold 975,632 shares of company stock valued at $78,621,241. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on KO. UBS Group set a $104.00 price target on shares of CocaCola and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. HSBC downgraded shares of CocaCola from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $89.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.56.

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of KO opened at $89.30 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.30. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $78.53. CocaCola Company has a 52-week low of $65.35 and a 52-week high of $90.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $384.22 billion, a PE ratio of 26.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.34.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The business had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. CocaCola'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. Sell-side analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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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