Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) Shares Down 1% Following Insider Selling

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report)'s share price fell 1% during trading on Tuesday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $62.93 and last traded at $62.94. 2,565,506 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average session volume of 13,600,939 shares. The stock had previously closed at $63.58.

Specifically, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 8,874 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.31, for a total transaction of $561,812.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 33,638 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,129,621.78. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Coca-Cola news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 18,551 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.41, for a total transaction of $1,102,114.91. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 8,874 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.31, for a total value of $561,812.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 33,638 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,129,621.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 389,279 shares of company stock worth $23,771,458 over the last quarter. 0.97% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on KO shares. UBS Group upped their target price on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Citigroup increased their price target on Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $65.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $68.27.

Coca-Cola Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The business has a 50-day moving average of $60.58 and a 200 day moving average of $59.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $271.77 billion, a PE ratio of 25.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 0.57.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.02. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 42.74% and a net margin of 23.41%. The company had revenue of $11.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. Coca-Cola's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.485 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. Coca-Cola's payout ratio is 77.60%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coca-Cola

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. ZRC Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 213.3% in the fourth quarter. ZRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 470 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares during the period. Tidemark LLC bought a new position in Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, ESL Trust Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Coca-Cola in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.