Waycross Partners LLC Purchases 16,213 Shares of Coca-Cola Company (The) $KO

Key Points

• Waycross Partners opened a new Coca-Cola position, purchasing 16,213 shares worth approximately $1.396 million in the third quarter. Other institutional investors also increased holdings, and institutions collectively own 70.26% of the stock.
• Coca-Cola beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting EPS of $0.91 and revenue of $13.35 billion, up 7.2% year over year. The company declared a $0.53 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 2.2% yield.
• Shares recently traded near their 12-month high, with analysts maintaining a generally positive outlook and a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. However, recent gains and valuation concerns may limit further upside.

Waycross Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 16,213 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,396,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Alps Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 254,386 shares of the company's stock valued at $21,898,000 after acquiring an additional 14,856 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 6.0% in the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 101,088 shares of the company's stock worth $8,702,000 after purchasing an additional 5,749 shares during the last quarter. Providence First Trust Co increased its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 52.9% in the third quarter. Providence First Trust Co now owns 18,303 shares of the company's stock worth $1,576,000 after purchasing an additional 6,331 shares during the last quarter. Asset One Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Coca-Cola by 33.5% in the third quarter. Asset One Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,938 shares of the company's stock valued at $597,000 after purchasing an additional 1,741 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heritage Family Offices LLP raised its stake in Coca-Cola by 16.3% in the third quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 3,336 shares of the company's stock valued at $287,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company's stock.

Coca-Cola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Coca-Cola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola shares reportedly reached a record high as investors sought defensive stocks amid a market downturn. Its established brands and dividend income may be attracting buyers looking for more resilient businesses. Coca-Cola Stock Hits Record High as Market Crashes
• Positive Sentiment: Recent articles point to Coca-Cola’s shelf presence, distribution reach and consumer habits as sources of a durable competitive advantage. The company’s ability to raise prices while still growing volume supports the long-term investment case. Coca-Cola Stock Is a Buy Thanks to Shelf Space and Habits
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on the company’s 64 consecutive years of dividend increases. Its latest quarterly results beat estimates, with revenue up year over year, and coverage says the company raised its outlook and dividend—supporting its earnings and income appeal. Coca-Cola Earnings Beat Lifts Guidance and Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion despite higher marketing spending, supported by productivity gains and disciplined pricing, suggests Coca-Cola is balancing investment with profitability. Can Coca-Cola Keep Expanding Margins While Investing More?
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares, but the reported sale was to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, making it a limited signal about her view of the business. Coca-Cola EVP Share Sale
• Negative Sentiment: After a strong run this year and a move to record levels, valuation may constrain further gains; one dividend-focused article suggests prospective investors consider waiting before buying. Coca-Cola’s Dividend Record and Valuation

Coca-Cola Price Performance

Shares of KO stock traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $95.69. 18,418,474 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,738,640. The company has a market capitalization of $411.63 billion, a PE ratio of 28.14, a PEG ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 0.28. Coca-Cola Company has a 12-month low of $67.27 and a 12-month high of $97.39. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $89.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $82.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 28.65% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The company had revenue of $13.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.92 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.82 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Coca-Cola's payout ratio is currently 62.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Coca-Cola

In other news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total value of $10,126,419.45. Following the transaction, the insider owned 41,365 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,761,319.45. The trade was a 72.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Sanket Ray sold 9,958 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.50, for a total value of $861,367.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 62,105 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,372,082.50. This trade represents a 13.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 238,871 shares of company stock valued at $21,918,267. Company insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Coca-Cola from a "buy (a+)" rating to a "buy (a)" rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $104.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $102.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $100.00 target price (up from $88.00) on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $97.26.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company NYSE: KO is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1886, it is best known for Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized soft drink brands.

The company owns, licenses, and markets a broad portfolio of beverages, including sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and energy drinks. Its brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, fairlife, and Costa Coffee, among others.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.

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