NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Buys 17,193 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• NorthCrest Asset Management increased its Coca-Cola stake by 75.9% in the third quarter, buying 17,193 shares and bringing its holdings to 39,858 shares valued at approximately $3.5 million. Institutional investors collectively own 70.26% of KO.
• Coca-Cola insiders sold 926,620 shares worth about $83.1 million over the past 90 days, including sizable sales by executives Nancy Quan and James Quincey to cover tax obligations tied to equity awards.
• Coca-Cola exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $0.97 in EPS and $13.37 billion in revenue, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $95.95.

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its stake in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 75.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 39,858 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 17,193 shares during the quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC's holdings in CocaCola were worth $3,498,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Banco Santander S.A. raised its stake in CocaCola by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 1,090,758 shares of the company's stock valued at $88,646,000 after acquiring an additional 32,723 shares in the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in CocaCola by 68.5% during the 2nd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 218,199 shares of the company's stock worth $17,733,000 after acquiring an additional 88,690 shares during the period. Moore Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of CocaCola in the second quarter worth $12,905,000. CX Institutional grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 402.3% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 163,248 shares of the company's stock worth $14,052,000 after purchasing an additional 130,746 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 2,091.3% during the second quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 361,934 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,414,000 after purchasing an additional 345,417 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 145,947 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.09, for a total value of $13,148,365.23. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 122,833 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,066,024.97. This represents a 54.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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 926,620 shares of company stock valued at $83,075,714. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

CocaCola Stock Performance

KO opened at $90.21 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $388.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.12. CocaCola Company has a 1-year low of $66.75 and a 1-year high of $92.49. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $88.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $83.04.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.87 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Research analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.30 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance, contrasting with PepsiCo’s lower outlook amid rising costs. The more favorable guidance supports the case for KO’s premium valuation. Coca-Cola vs. PepsiCo: Which Dividend King Deserves a Premium Valuation Right Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s powerful global brands, broad distribution network and marketing investments continue to support a durable competitive moat. AI-assisted marketing, consumer insights and major campaigns are intended to improve volume growth, margins and marketing returns. Can Coca-Cola’s Marketing Investments Keep Improving Returns?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s 63-year streak of annual dividend increases reinforces its appeal as a defensive income investment, particularly as markets favor dependable cash-generating businesses. Coca-Cola Has Raised Dividends for 63 Years. Can It Make It Another Decade?
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola is expanding its presence in the fast-growing prebiotic soda category, positioning its portfolio to compete with Poppi and Olipop and capture changing consumer preferences. Coca-Cola has a gut feeling it can take on Poppi and Olipop
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports indicate Coca-Cola is reviewing strategic alternatives for Costa Coffee, including a possible sale. A divestiture could improve capital allocation, but the discussions are preliminary and there is no agreed valuation or timetable. Does Coca-Cola Need To Rethink Its Coffee Strategy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary says KO has outperformed some consumer-staples peers this year, supporting investor interest, though the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for execution disappointments. Is Coca-Cola Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s dividend payments reportedly exceeded free cash flow by billions last year. Although the long payout streak is attractive, sustained under-coverage could constrain financial flexibility or increase reliance on borrowing. Coca-Cola Has Raised Dividends for 63 Years. Can It Make It Another Decade?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on KO. CICC Research lifted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Argus upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $86.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of CocaCola from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, HSBC boosted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.95.

CocaCola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company NYSE: KO is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Its portfolio includes sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and other ready-to-drink products. The company's best-known brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, Powerade, Minute Maid, fairlife, and Georgia Coffee.

Founded in 1886, the company develops, owns, licenses, markets, and distributes beverage brands through a network of bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service operators.

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