Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt Lowers Stock Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt cut its Coca-Cola stake by 31.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 23,700 shares and ending with 51,117 shares worth about $3.57 million.
• Several other large investors also increased or initiated positions in KO, and 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
• Analysts remain upbeat on Coca-Cola, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying an average Buy rating and consensus target of $86.80.

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt reduced its stake in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 31.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,117 shares of the company's stock after selling 23,700 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt's holdings in CocaCola were worth $3,574,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KO. Norges Bank bought a new stake in CocaCola during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,865,807,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in CocaCola by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,200,276,000 after purchasing an additional 5,886,352 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in CocaCola by 23.9% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 28,679,192 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,004,962,000 after purchasing an additional 5,529,810 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in CocaCola by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,592,732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,198 shares during the period. Finally, Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in CocaCola during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $260,916,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on CocaCola from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 target price on CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Barclays lifted their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, CocaCola has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $86.80.

CocaCola Stock Performance

NYSE:KO opened at $76.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.15. CocaCola Company has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $82.66. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $78.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.29. The company has a market cap of $330.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.18, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.35.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 40.55% and a net margin of 27.80%.The business had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.73 EPS. The company's revenue 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 anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. CocaCola's payout ratio is currently 66.67%.

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are still being reminded that Coca-Cola has steady demand, disciplined pricing, and product innovation supporting its long-term outlook. Coca-Cola Stock Rises 12.1% YTD: Buy Now or Wait for a Pullback?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s India bottling-unit spin-off idea could unlock hidden value and improve long-term margins if executed well. Coke's $10B India IPO Plan Pops the Top on Hidden Value
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola is attracting investor attention, but the article does not point to a new catalyst; it mainly reflects heightened market interest in the stock. CocaCola Company (The) (KO) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are comparing KO’s performance with other consumer staples names, which underscores its relative strength but does not change the near-term story by itself. Is Coca-Cola (KO) Outperforming Other Consumer Staples Stocks This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: CFO John Murphy said Coca-Cola is adjusting pricing and packaging because consumer spending is becoming more uneven, signaling pressure on demand from lower- and middle-income shoppers. Coca-Cola Adapts Pricing Strategy as Consumer Spending Patterns Diverge (KO)
• Negative Sentiment: New warnings about consumer weakness and “Middle East risks” may add uncertainty around near-term sales and margin stability. Coca-Cola (KO) Sounds the Alarm on Consumers and Warns of ‘Middle East Risks’

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 transaction of $1,847,595.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,371,383.25. The trade was a 57.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total value of $2,559,411.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,074,096.90. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 255,505 shares of company stock valued at $20,187,007. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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