CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Stock Price Up 2.5% After Strong Earnings

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) shares rose 2.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $79.05 and last traded at $78.7020. Approximately 22,411,877 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 12% from the average daily volume of 19,985,041 shares. The stock had previously closed at $76.81.

The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 43.62%. The firm had revenue of $11.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised targets or reiterated buy/overweight ratings this morning — UBS lifted its target to $87 (buy) and JPMorgan raised its target to $83 (overweight), giving the stock fresh upside from current levels. UBS price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism is broad: TD Cowen reaffirmed a Buy with an $85 target and commentary across outlets shows a tilt toward “Strong Buy” consensus, supporting momentum. TD Cowen $85 Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying and MarketBeat commentary argue the pullback after earnings created a buying opportunity — institutional accumulation and strong cash‑return outlook (dividends + buybacks) underpin the bullish case. MarketBeat institutional view
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: EPS beat (adj. $0.58 vs. ~$0.56 est.) but revenue missed consensus; management held FY‑2026 EPS guidance at 3.210–3.240 and forecast organic revenue growth of ~4–5% — these figures reduce uncertainty but leave upside contingent on demand recovery. MarketBeat earnings summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is shifting price targets but not uniformly — Jefferies trimmed its target slightly (still a buy), underscoring mixed but generally constructive views across the Street. Jefferies/Benzinga note
• Negative Sentiment: Investors initially reacted to a revenue shortfall and comments about choppy soda demand in North America and Europe; that miss triggered an earlier pullback and lingering caution around growth. Reuters revenue miss
• Negative Sentiment: The company took a one‑time non‑cash impairment tied to BODYARMOR trademark (~$960M reported in coverage), which pressured reported operating income and contributed to mixed headlines despite underlying volume/price gains. BODYARMOR impairment coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators warn the stock is pricing in a lot of perfection (rich valuation vs peers), so upside from here relies on execution against guidance and sustained volume recovery. Seeking Alpha valuation note

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on KO shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $87.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seventeen have given a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $83.29.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.17, for a total transaction of $2,250,751.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,894,396.10. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.10, for a total value of $26,046,230.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 342,546 shares in the company, valued at $26,410,296.60. The trade was a 49.65% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 509,138 shares of company stock worth $38,186,963 over the last three months. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors now owns 3,819 shares of the company’s stock valued at $275,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Alteri Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC now owns 7,738 shares of the company’s stock worth $541,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Apexium Financial LP boosted its holdings in CocaCola by 1.2% in the third quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $810,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 8,901 shares of the company’s stock worth $622,000 after buying an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1ST Source Bank increased its position in shares of CocaCola by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. 1ST Source Bank now owns 19,766 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,382,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $71.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $69.88. The company has a market capitalization of $338.55 billion, a PE ratio of 26.06, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30.

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.