Welch Group LLC Grows Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Welch Group LLC lifted its stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 279,984 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,299 shares during the quarter. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $22,754,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Eurizon SLJ Capital Ltd acquired a new position in shares of CocaCola during the fourth quarter worth about $552,000. King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its holdings in CocaCola by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 3,852,525 shares of the company’s stock valued at $269,330,000 after acquiring an additional 31,694 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its stake in CocaCola by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,759,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $123,010,000 after acquiring an additional 79,946 shares during the last quarter. SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. purchased a new position in CocaCola in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,544,000. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in CocaCola by 21.1% during the 4th quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 152,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,669,000 after acquiring an additional 26,605 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. HSBC downgraded shares of CocaCola from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Citigroup raised their price target on CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective on CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.76.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In related news, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $34,960,398.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 122,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,842,608.29. This represents a 78.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.46, for a total value of $7,946,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 181,384 shares in the company, valued at $14,412,772.64. This represents a 35.54% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,433,535 shares of company stock valued at $121,922,698. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raised outlook and margin gains: Coca-Cola’s improved full-year revenue and earnings guidance, expanding margins, broad-based volume growth and market-share gains reinforce confidence in its operating momentum. Coca-Cola’s Raised Guidance And Margin Gains Might Change the Case for Investing in Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Volume growth supports demand: Recent analysis points to steady global volume growth, suggesting consumers continue to purchase Coca-Cola products despite broader economic pressure. Coca-Cola in Focus as Volume Growth Anchors a Steady Picture
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations remain supportive: Analysts have issued higher earnings forecasts and are preparing for third-quarter results, extending the positive reaction to the company’s latest earnings beat. Coca-Cola reported $0.97 in quarterly EPS versus a $0.93 consensus estimate, with revenue up 6.2% year over year.
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive and income appeal: Commentary continues to highlight KO as a Dividend King and a long-term Warren Buffett-backed holding. That reputation may support demand from investors seeking reliable dividends and relatively defensive consumer-staples exposure. 5 Dividend Kings to Buy and Hold Forever in August
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and sustainability are under debate: Investors are weighing Coca-Cola’s stronger results against whether its recent momentum can persist through the second half of the year. With the stock trading at a premium earnings multiple, further gains may depend on continued execution. The Debates That Matter for KO Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro risks remain: Coverage is monitoring inflation, gasoline prices and consumer spending because higher household costs could pressure demand or reduce purchasing power. Why Is Coca-Cola in Focus as Gasoline Prices Pressure Consumers?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bottler financing news: Coca-Cola İçecek authorized management to seek up to $1 billion in overseas debt for refinancing and growth. The development concerns the regional bottler rather than Coca-Cola directly, so its immediate effect on KO is likely limited. Coca-Cola İçecek Seeks Up to USD 1 Billion in Overseas Debt

CocaCola Stock Down 0.1%

KO stock opened at $87.66 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $377.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.32, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. CocaCola Company has a twelve month low of $65.35 and a twelve month high of $90.92. The company’s 50 day moving average is $83.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.86.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.87 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Research analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.66%.

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.