Night Squared LP Makes New $12.46 Million Investment in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Night Squared LP bought 178,233 Coca-Cola shares in the fourth quarter, a position worth about $12.46 million. The stake now represents roughly 3.5% of its portfolio and is its third-largest holding.
• Coca-Cola continues to draw strong institutional and analyst support, with 70%+ of shares held by institutions and most Wall Street firms rating the stock a Buy. Analysts recently lifted price targets, and the consensus target sits at $86.69.
• The company posted solid quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, and it also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share for a 2.6% yield. Despite these positives, some top executives have recently sold shares.

Night Squared LP acquired a new position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 178,233 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,460,000. CocaCola makes up about 3.5% of Night Squared LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Norges Bank bought a new stake in CocaCola in the 4th quarter worth about $3,865,807,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its position in CocaCola by 867.2% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 14,432,190 shares of the company's stock worth $1,008,954,000 after purchasing an additional 12,939,959 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in CocaCola by 1,206.9% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 10,641,007 shares of the company's stock worth $743,913,000 after purchasing an additional 9,826,768 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its position in CocaCola by 98.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,573,527 shares of the company's stock worth $879,015,000 after purchasing an additional 6,246,627 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in CocaCola by 1.6% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of CocaCola from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $84.00 target price for the company. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $86.69.

CocaCola Stock Down 0.8%

CocaCola stock opened at $80.29 on Wednesday. CocaCola Company has a twelve month low of $65.35 and a twelve month high of $84.04. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $78.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $75.81. The company has a market capitalization of $345.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.25, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.24 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 40.55%. CocaCola's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.73 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio is presently 66.67%.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola is being highlighted by analysts and market writers as a defensive staple and a low-beta stock that can help investors navigate inflation and rate volatility, which supports its appeal in uncertain markets. Inflationary Woes Continue Despite End of Iran War: 5 Defensive Picks
• Positive Sentiment: KO is also being featured in dividend-focused articles as a “Dividend King” and a stock near record highs, reinforcing the market’s confidence in its long-term cash generation and income stability. 3 Dividend Kings With Income, Stability, and a Possible Catalyst
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces frame Coca-Cola as a strong consumer-staples holding versus peers like Keurig Dr Pepper, suggesting investors still view KO as a premium brand with scale and pricing power. Coca-Cola vs. Keurig: Which Beverage Stock Should Investors Choose?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also points to cost-saving initiatives and operating efficiencies helping offset commodity inflation and support margins, which is constructive for earnings durability. Are Coca-Cola's Cost-Saving Initiatives Boosting Profitability?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s Smartwater expansion through PVOLVE studios is a brand-building move that could help visibility, but it looks more like a marketing partnership than a near-term financial catalyst. Coca-Cola Expands Smartwater Reach Through PVOLVE Studios
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the supportive commentary, KO has recently pulled back from its highs, and one market report noted the stock fell as broader market sentiment improved, suggesting investors may be rotating out of defensives. Coca-Cola (KO) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In related news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the company'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 transaction of $2,559,411.25. Following the sale, 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. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total transaction of $34,960,398.48. Following the sale, the chairman owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at $9,842,608.29. The trade was a 78.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 899,905 shares of company stock worth $71,832,315. 0.90% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.