NewEdge Advisors LLC Lowers Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• NewEdge Advisors reduced its Coca-Cola stake by 26.8% in the first quarter, selling 157,040 shares and retaining 429,406 shares valued at approximately $32.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 70.26% of KO.
• Coca-Cola reported quarterly earnings of $0.97 per share and revenue of $13.37 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year. The company also raised its outlook, and analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $95.56.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.12 payout and a 2.4% yield. Recent insider sales were conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans to cover tax obligations on vested equity awards.

NewEdge Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 26.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 429,406 shares of the company's stock after selling 157,040 shares during the quarter. CocaCola makes up approximately 0.6% of NewEdge Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest position. NewEdge Advisors LLC's holdings in CocaCola were worth $32,656,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company's stock worth $26,200,276,000 after buying an additional 5,886,352 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in CocaCola by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 167,850,330 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,734,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,992,327 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in CocaCola by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 89,984,203 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,273,037,000 after acquiring an additional 433,547 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in CocaCola in the 4th quarter valued at $3,865,807,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in CocaCola by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 44,018,963 shares of the company's stock worth $3,347,642,000 after purchasing an additional 3,836,640 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $34,960,398.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,842,608.29. This represents a 78.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider owned 35,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,172,982.45. This represents a 68.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 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 have sold 975,632 shares of company stock worth $78,621,241. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

CocaCola Price Performance

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

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.87 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 3.27 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on KO. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on CocaCola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $100.00 price target (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $93.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.56.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.

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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