State of Michigan Retirement System Reduces Stake in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Michigan’s retirement system reduced its Coca-Cola stake by 1.6% in the second quarter, selling 16,700 shares while retaining 1.02 million shares valued at approximately $83 million. Institutional investors collectively own 70.26% of KO.
• Coca-Cola reported quarterly EPS of $0.97 and revenue of $13.37 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, with revenue up 6.2% year over year. Analysts remain positive, giving the stock a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $95.76.
• Shares opened at $90.91 near their 52-week high, while Coca-Cola announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, implying a 2.3% annualized yield. Recent executive stock sales were tied to tax withholding on vested equity awards.

State of Michigan Retirement System lessened its holdings in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,021,448 shares of the company's stock after selling 16,700 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System's holdings in CocaCola were worth $83,013,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in CocaCola in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in CocaCola in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Guardian Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on KO. Citigroup boosted their target price on CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group set a $104.00 price target on CocaCola and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $100.00 target price (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.76.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally supportive, with brokers highlighting Coca-Cola as an investment candidate. Recent quarterly results also exceeded expectations, with earnings and revenue above consensus and revenue growth of 6.2% year over year. Brokers Suggest Investing in Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Investors have been seeking established, lower-volatility companies, helping Coca-Cola reach an all-time high and break above $90 for the first time. Its strong brand portfolio and defensive characteristics may be attractive amid market uncertainty. Coca-Cola Hits All-Time High
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s long dividend record continues to support its appeal to income-focused investors. Berkshire Hathaway reportedly receives approximately $848 million annually from its Coca-Cola holdings, underscoring the scale and consistency of the payout. Dividend King Pays Berkshire
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage is also examining Coca-Cola’s cash flow and dividend sustainability as interest rates and bond yields rise. Higher yields could increase the relative appeal of fixed-income investments, although Coca-Cola’s recurring cash generation remains central to its income-investor case. Coca-Cola Cash Flow as Yields Rise
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares worth about $4.5 million. The filing states the sale covered tax withholding tied to vested equity awards, reducing its negative signaling value, though it may create modest near-term selling pressure.

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $90.91 on Monday. CocaCola Company has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $91.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $391.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.30, a PEG ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $84.27 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The business's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.46, for a total transaction of $7,946,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 181,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,412,772.64. This trade represents a 35.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total transaction of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,186,798.70. This trade represents a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,483,535 shares of company stock worth $126,442,198. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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