CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Stock Price Down 1.3% – What’s Next?

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) was down 1.3% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $70.37 and last traded at $70.50. Approximately 15,286,461 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 18,433,512 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.44.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management shakeup and new chief digital officer announced, aimed at stepping up digital marketing, consumer data capabilities and e‑commerce — could help accelerate top‑line growth and margin expansion over time. 1 Prediction for KO in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend durability and Buffett association continue to support investor demand: KO remains a Dividend King with 63+ years of increases, attracting income‑oriented and long‑term holders. This background reduces downside in uncertain markets. 1 Prediction for KO in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Short‑term attention from a viral Lionel Messi video has driven incremental retail interest and helped lift sentiment and trading volume recently. Such publicity can create near‑term positive momentum. 1 Prediction for KO in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned IPO of Hindustan Coca‑Cola Beverages (HCCB) in India (targeting roughly $1B) could unlock value and raise capital for brand initiatives, but the benefit depends on deal structure and use of proceeds. Execution timeline and proceeds are uncertain. Coca-Cola plans to pop the cap on $1 billion HCCB IPO this year
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is middling for a defensive consumer name (P/E in the mid‑20s in recent coverage). That tradeoff — steady cash flow and dividends vs. limited high‑growth upside — makes KO more attractive to income investors than growth seekers. 2 Buffett Stocks to Load Up On—And 1 to Ditch
• Negative Sentiment: Potential risks: the HCCB IPO and continued strategy of asset‑light brand focus could reduce consolidated revenue growth and introduce short‑term execution/market‑reaction risk; if growth remains reliant on pricing rather than volume, margin and volume sensitivity could cap upside. Coca‑Cola is on track for a $1B summer IPO of its India bottler

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on KO shares. Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on CocaCola from $75.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.08.

CocaCola Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $303.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $70.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.35.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.04. CocaCola had a return on equity of 43.62% and a net margin of 27.34%.The firm had revenue of $12.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.46 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.77 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.966-2.966 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In related news, Director Max R. Levchin purchased 7,206 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $69.87 per share, with a total value of $503,483.22. Following the acquisition, the director owned 14,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $996,835.29. This trade represents a 102.05% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Manuel Arroyo sold 139,689 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.80, for a total value of $9,889,981.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 58,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,111,143.60. This represents a 70.64% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 225,252 shares of company stock worth $15,953,007. 0.97% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of CocaCola by 5,142.9% during the second quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 367 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 360 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of CocaCola in the second quarter worth $26,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CocaCola in the third quarter worth $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of CocaCola during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.