Merit Financial Group LLC Acquires 7,361 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 206,620 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,361 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $13,703,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in CocaCola in the second quarter valued at about $3,846,270,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 367,441,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,996,519,000 after acquiring an additional 6,241,163 shares during the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 7,239.2% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,149,632 shares of the company’s stock valued at $435,086,000 after acquiring an additional 6,065,840 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 343.3% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 4,486,096 shares of the company’s stock valued at $297,518,000 after acquiring an additional 3,474,015 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in CocaCola by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 21,236,315 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,554,074,000 after acquiring an additional 2,922,619 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BofA raised its price target on KO to $85 (from $80) and kept a Buy rating, citing longer‑term upside even as 2026 consumption trends remain uncertain — a direct catalyst that can support the stock if investors follow the analyst call. BofA Raises Coca-Cola (KO) Target as 2026 Consumption Growth Remains Unclear
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks argues KO can sustain organic growth at the high end of its model — gaining value share through pricing, volume and productivity — which supports revenue and margin stability in a tougher macro environment. Coca-Cola’s Story: Can Organic Growth Stay Resilient in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Popular investor pieces continue to highlight KO as a high‑quality dividend payer and defensive holding, which can attract income‑focused flows in uncertain markets. Could These 3 “Recession-Proof” Dividend Stocks Surge 100% by 2031?
• Neutral Sentiment: Price forecasts and long‑range models (24/7 Wall St.) show mixed near‑term moves but reiterate KO’s steady long‑term profile — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) Price Prediction and Forecast 2026-2030 (January 2026)
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative pieces (e.g., KO vs. Primo Brands) may drive placement in screeners or investor attention but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Comparing CocaCola (NYSE:KO) and Primo Brands (NYSE:PRMB)
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha argues KO’s dividend and cash flow don’t offset sluggish growth and a mid‑20s P/E, suggesting limited total‑return upside versus higher‑growth alternatives — a narrative that can pressure valuation-sensitive investors. Coca-Cola: Not Even The Storied Dividend Can Create A Compelling Investment Case
• Negative Sentiment: Forbes revisits risks, including historical sharp drawdowns and the company’s sensitivity to consumption trends, reminding investors of downside scenarios that could amplify selling in weak macro periods. What Is Weighing On Coca-Cola Stock?

CocaCola Trading Down 0.1%

KO opened at $70.08 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $301.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.21, a P/E/G ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.39. 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 has a 12 month low of $60.62 and a 12 month high of $74.38. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $70.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.35.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 27th. The company reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $11.40 billion for the quarter. CocaCola had a return on equity of 43.62% and a net margin of 27.34%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.55%.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, Director Max R. Levchin acquired 7,206 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $69.87 per share, for a total transaction of $503,483.22. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 14,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $996,835.29. This trade represents a 102.05% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 13,548 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.93, for a total transaction of $947,411.64. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 37,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,638,109.25. This represents a 26.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 225,252 shares of company stock worth $15,953,007. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on CocaCola from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.08.

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.