State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Sells 38,771 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D trimmed its Coca‑Cola stake by 2.7%, selling 38,771 shares and leaving 1,408,819 shares valued at roughly $98.5 million.
• Coca‑Cola beat Q1 estimates and raised guidance, reporting $0.86 EPS (vs. $0.81 est.) and $12.47B revenue (up 11.4% YoY), and increased its quarterly dividend to $0.53.
• Notable insider and institutional moves: the CEO and CFO sold a combined ~323k shares and insiders disposed of ~892,925 shares (~$70.3M) in the past 90 days, while institutions own about 70.3% of the stock and analysts hold a consensus "Buy" with an ~$86.27 target.

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D reduced its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 2.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,408,819 shares of the company's stock after selling 38,771 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D's holdings in CocaCola were worth $98,491,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 5,886,352 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in CocaCola by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,592,732,000 after buying an additional 5,135,198 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in CocaCola during the 3rd quarter valued at $226,443,000. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the third quarter worth $161,130,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 288.1% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,025,595 shares of the company's stock worth $211,519,000 after acquiring an additional 2,245,959 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance lift — Coca‑Cola reported stronger‑than‑expected Q1 results (EPS $0.86 vs. ~$0.81 est.; revenue ~$12.5B) and raised its full‑year profit outlook, which sparked the initial rally. Coca-Cola shares gain after strong Q1 sales drive higher EPS forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Solid top‑line/organic growth — Management and coverage highlighted ~10% organic sales growth and double‑digit reported revenue, reviving investor interest in KO as a defensive growth play. Coca-Cola Just Proved Blue-Chip, Dividend Stocks Aren't Boring as KO Stock Pops on 10% Revenue Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price‑target raises — Multiple firms raised targets/ratings after the quarter (BofA, UBS, JPMorgan; Barclays issued a Buy), providing fresh buy‑side momentum. Coca-Cola (KO) Gets a Buy from Barclays
• Positive Sentiment: Category diversification = growth runway — Coverage notes KO’s shift beyond soda into water, sports drinks, coffee and tea (faster‑growing categories), supporting sustainable volume/mix improvement. Coca-Cola's Beverage Portfolio Shift: Beyond Soda for Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Heightened investor activity — Unusual call‑option buying and bullish media narratives (dividend/blue‑chip lists, Buffett coverage) add demand pressure and visibility. Warren Buffett's Coca-Cola Bet Just Got $3.4 Billion Sweeter
• Neutral Sentiment: Transcripts and investor calls available — Earnings and shareholder/analyst call transcripts provide details for due diligence but add no new surprise today. The Coca-Cola Company (KO) Shareholder/Analyst Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Regional bottler results mixed — Coca‑Cola FEMSA and Andina posted mixed/varied results, a regional nuance for investors tracking international exposure. Coca-Cola FEMSA Posts Mixed 1Q26 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Questions about sustainability of reported growth — Some analysts warn part of the 12% reported growth reflects calendar/timing effects (extra days), which could temper forward expectations. Coca‑Cola Q1: Why 12% Growth Is A Calendar Illusion
• Negative Sentiment: Small analyst haircut and macro caution — Erste trimmed a FY2027 EPS estimate slightly; management commentary flagged economic headwinds, which are reasons to watch margins and volume going forward. Coca‑Cola CEO has a stark message on the economy

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial set a $85.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $86.27.

CocaCola Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $78.85 on Thursday. CocaCola Company has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $82.00. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $77.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The company has a market cap of $339.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.94, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.36.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.05. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 41.31%. The company had revenue of $12.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.28 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.73 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola's previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. CocaCola's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.74%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.52, for a total transaction of $5,833,593.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 279,917 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,538,916.84. The trade was a 20.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 250,688 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.14, for a total transaction of $19,839,448.32. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 278,155 shares in the company, valued at $22,013,186.70. This trade represents a 47.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

About CocaCola

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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