CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Shares Down 1.1% on Insider Selling

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) traded down 1.1% on Tuesday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $78.56 and last traded at $79.32. 19,948,794 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 2% from the average session volume of 19,471,750 shares. The stock had previously closed at $80.22.

Specifically, CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.52, for a total transaction of $5,833,593.48. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at $22,538,916.84. This trade represents a 20.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.16, for a total value of $1,603,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 57,532 shares in the company, valued at $4,611,765.12. This trade represents a 25.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total value of $7,996,723.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 410,550 shares in the company, valued at $33,016,431. The trade was a 19.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of CocaCola from $88.00 to $87.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, CocaCola presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $84.33.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages maintain a favorable view — KO was given a consensus “Buy” rating by analysts, which supports medium-term upside expectations. CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) Given Consensus Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings beat potential noted — Zacks flagged KO among consumer staples that could beat estimates, a point that could lift sentiment into the next reporting cycle. These 2 Consumer Staples Stocks Could Beat Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend-focused coverage reinforces KO’s income appeal — outlets including The Motley Fool and 247WallSt. listed KO among steady dividend growers suitable for income portfolios. That helps underpin longer-term investor demand. 4 Boring But Beautiful Dividend Stocks Retire Comfortably With These Dividend Growth Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend streak and IR leadership create a valuation debate — Yahoo notes KO’s long dividend streak and a new investor‑relations chief, framing a discussion on whether growth expectations justify current multiples; this can create short‑term volatility. Coca-Cola Dividend Streak And New IR Chief Underline Valuation Debate
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sale by the CFO — CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares (~$5.83M) and reduced his stake by ~20.6%, a sizable disclosure that often triggers negative sentiment and selling pressure. The SEC filing is available for review. SEC Form 4 – John Murphy Sale

CocaCola Trading Down 1.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $341.13 billion, a PE ratio of 26.09, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.35. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $74.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.90.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 41.31%. The company had revenue of $11.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.55 earnings per share. CocaCola’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KO. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors increased its position in CocaCola by 3.8% during 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 in the last quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC now owns 7,738 shares of the company’s stock worth $541,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Apexium Financial LP grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% in the third quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company’s stock worth $810,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,718,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stockman Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 8,901 shares of the company’s stock worth $622,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

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.