Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA Buys Shares of 408,641 CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA bought a new 408,641‑share position in Coca‑Cola (~$27.1M), making KO 1.5% of its portfolio and its 20th largest holding amid broad institutional ownership (~70.3%).
• Major brokers including Barclays, JPMorgan and UBS raised price targets to the $83–$87 range and the consensus rating is a Buy with an average price target of $84.33, reflecting positive analyst sentiment.
• Coca‑Cola beat EPS estimates ($0.58 vs. $0.56), set FY‑2026 guidance of $3.210–3.240 and raised the quarterly dividend to $0.53 (its 64th consecutive increase), although insiders have sold sizable stakes recently (≈892,925 shares sold last quarter).

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA bought a new position in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 408,641 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,101,000. CocaCola comprises 1.5% of Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA's portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in CocaCola during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,846,270,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in CocaCola by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 367,441,971 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,996,519,000 after purchasing an additional 6,241,163 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in CocaCola by 7,239.2% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,149,632 shares of the company's stock valued at $435,086,000 after purchasing an additional 6,065,840 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 15.1% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 343.3% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 4,486,096 shares of the company's stock worth $297,518,000 after buying an additional 3,474,015 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group boosted their price target on CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $84.33.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators point to Coca‑Cola’s defensive characteristics and superior YTD performance versus the S&P, citing strong brands, pricing power and steady demand as reasons behind the rally. Why is Coca‑Cola stock rallying this year while S&P slumps? Here's what investors need to know about KO stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes KO has climbed ~12.5% in a month, driven by pricing power, global brands and resilient demand — supportive factors for continued cash flow and dividends. Coca‑Cola Stock Rises 12.5% in a Month: Buy the Rally or Wait?
• Positive Sentiment: Motley Fool highlights continued organic revenue gains and a robust dividend that make KO attractive to income and defensive investors. Coca‑Cola Stock Is Crushing the Market This Year. Is It Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage of Coca‑Cola’s FY‑2025 results and its 64th consecutive dividend increase underlines durable cash generation and management’s focus on shareholder returns. How Coca‑Cola’s 64th Dividend Hike and New CEO Will Impact Coca‑Cola (KO) Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses emphasize emerging markets (India, China, ASEAN) as a key long‑term revenue driver for KO, supporting growth expectations beyond developed markets. Are Emerging Markets Key to Coca‑Cola's Long‑Term Revenue Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend‑safety comparisons vs. Pepsi highlight KO’s consistency but note differences in business mix; useful for income‑oriented allocation decisions rather than immediate price triggers. Coke vs Pepsi: Which Dividend Is Actually Safer?
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi conference presentation transcript provides management messaging and finer operational detail but contained no major surprises likely to move the stock sharply. The Coca‑Cola Company (KO) Presents at Citi's 2026 Global Consumer & Retail Conference
• Negative Sentiment: An EVP, Monica Howard Douglas, disclosed a sizable sale (23,880 shares), reducing her stake ~57% — an insider sale that some investors may view as a negative signal. SEC Form 4 — Insider Sale Disclosure
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts caution KO’s recent rally has pushed valuation to a premium (P/E and PEG metrics), which could limit near‑term upside and increase sensitivity to any earnings miss. Coca‑Cola Stock Rises 12.5% in a Month: Buy the Rally or Wait?

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of KO stock opened at $77.80 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $334.59 billion, a PE ratio of 25.59, a P/E/G ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.35. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $75.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.23. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $82.00.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total transaction of $1,872,702.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,754,735. This trade represents a 9.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total value of $1,847,595.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,725 shares in the company, valued at $1,371,383.25. This trade represents a 57.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796. Company insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

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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