Sterling Capital Management LLC Sells 21,399 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Sterling Capital Management cut its Coca-Cola stake by 12% in the first quarter, selling 21,399 shares and leaving it with 156,623 shares worth about $11.9 million.
• Coca-Cola beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, reporting $0.86 EPS versus the $0.81 estimate and revenue of $12.47 billion, up 11.4% year over year. The company also reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of 3.240-3.270.
• The company continues to look attractive to income investors, with a newly declared quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share and an annualized yield of about 2.6%. Wall Street remains broadly positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $86.88.

Sterling Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) by 12.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 156,623 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,399 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC's holdings in CocaCola were worth $11,911,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KO. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in CocaCola by 3.1% in the first quarter. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 5,442 shares of the company's stock worth $411,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC now owns 16,664 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,267,000 after purchasing an additional 704 shares during the period. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the 1st quarter valued at about $50,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,155 shares of the company's stock worth $1,457,000 after purchasing an additional 1,719 shares during the period. Finally, Maridea Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CocaCola in the 1st quarter worth approximately $229,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $82.63 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.15. CocaCola Company has a 1-year low of $65.35 and a 1-year high of $84.04. The company has a market capitalization of $355.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.35. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $79.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $76.28.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $12.47 billion during 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%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.73 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. Research analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

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

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: 24/7 Wall St. issued a bullish view on KO, calling it a quality compounder with a price target of $90.07, implying about 12% upside and recommending the stock as a buy. Coca Cola Price Prediction: The Case for 12% Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Coca-Cola as one of four defensive stocks to own as inflation rises, reinforcing KO’s appeal as a stable consumer staples name in a more uncertain macro environment. Buy 4 Defensive Stocks as Inflation Hits Highest Level in 3 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Growth rankings also looked supportive, with an article noting Monster Beverage and Coca-Cola leading S&P 500 consumer staples stocks by growth grades, which may help sentiment around KO’s fundamental profile. Monster Beverage, Coca-Cola lead S&P 500 consumer staples stocks by growth grades
• Neutral Sentiment: The company announced a leadership transition in its North America operating unit, with Jennifer Mann stepping down and CFO John Murphy taking over temporarily. This is operationally important, but the market impact is likely limited unless it signals broader strategic changes. The Coca-Cola Company Announces Leadership Transition for North America Operating Unit
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching the company’s long-running $20 billion IRS tax dispute, which has reached a promising stage in court but still represents a potential overhang on long-term cash flow and taxes. Coca-Cola's longstanding $20B tax case is off to a promising start in the courtroom
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analysis questioning whether the current share price is justified after a roughly 19% one-year decline could temper enthusiasm, even though the stock remains viewed by some as attractively valued. Coca-Cola (KO) Stock After 19% Year Loss Is The Current Price Justified?

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In related news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total transaction of $2,559,411.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,074,096.90. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed 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 CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $34,960,398.48. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at $9,842,608.29. This trade represents a 78.03% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 899,905 shares of company stock valued at $71,832,315 over the last ninety days. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein started 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Truist Financial set a $88.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Friday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $86.88.

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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