King Luther Capital Management Corp Increases Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• King Luther Capital Management slightly increased its Coca-Cola stake in the fourth quarter, adding 31,694 shares to bring its total to 3,852,525 shares. Coca-Cola now represents 1.1% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Coca-Cola reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.86 versus $0.81 expected and revenue of $12.47 billion versus $12.24 billion expected. Revenue rose 11.4% year over year, and the company reiterated FY 2026 EPS guidance of 3.240-3.270.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, payable July 1 to shareholders of record on June 15, implying an annualized yield of 2.6%. Meanwhile, analysts remain bullish, with multiple price target increases and a consensus rating of “Buy.”

King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its stake in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,852,525 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 31,694 shares during the period. CocaCola makes up 1.1% of King Luther Capital Management Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. King Luther Capital Management Corp owned 0.09% of CocaCola worth $269,330,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in CocaCola by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 165,858,003 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,083,296,000 after buying an additional 923,278 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in CocaCola by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,592,732,000 after buying an additional 5,135,198 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in CocaCola by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 28,051,787 shares of the company's stock worth $1,860,395,000 after buying an additional 770,235 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in CocaCola by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 26,721,843 shares of the company's stock worth $1,772,193,000 after buying an additional 1,393,760 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CocaCola Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of KO opened at $80.60 on Wednesday. CocaCola Company has a twelve month low of $65.35 and a twelve month high of $82.66. 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 capitalization of $346.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.35, a PEG ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.35. The firm's 50-day moving average is $77.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.87.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $12.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.24 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 40.55%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.73 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. On average, research analysts predict 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 paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. CocaCola's payout ratio is 66.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.52, for a total transaction of $5,833,593.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,538,916.84. The trade was a 20.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total transaction of $1,847,595.60. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 652,289 shares of company stock worth $51,739,054. Insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KO has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price objective on CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group boosted their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, CocaCola currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $86.80.

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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