CocaCola Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:KO)

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Traders bought 61,806 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 17% compared to the average volume of 52,940 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CocaCola news, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.16, for a total value of $1,603,200.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.10, for a total value of $26,046,230.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 342,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,410,296.60. The trade was a 49.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 493,587 shares of company stock valued at $38,577,228. 0.97% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CocaCola

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in CocaCola during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Bank of America raised 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. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays raised their price target on CocaCola from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CocaCola presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $84.33.

CocaCola Stock Performance

KO traded up $0.98 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $81.48. 7,912,192 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 18,956,355. The company’s 50-day moving average is $73.80 and its 200 day moving average is $70.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $350.44 billion, a PE ratio of 26.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. CocaCola has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $81.69.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The company had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.55 earnings per share. CocaCola’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that CocaCola will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.11%.

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑term and multi‑year EPS estimates for KO (Q1/Q2 FY2026–FY2028 and FY2026–FY2027 upgrades), signaling improving analyst expectations for earnings growth and supporting valuation. Zacks Research estimate updates
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend‑focused coverage named Coca‑Cola among safe, long‑running dividend payers, reinforcing income investor demand for KO given its long dividend history and defensive consumer‑staples status. 5 US Blue Chip Giants That Have Paid Dividends for Over 100 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Additional media recommended several of Warren Buffett’s high‑quality dividend names as defensive buys amid market uncertainty; Coca‑Cola’s inclusion in such lists can attract long‑term and yield‑seeking flows. Is the Warren Buffett Correction Coming? Buy His 4 Safest Dividend Stocks Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Swire Pacific restructured a planned disposal involving its Coca‑Cola Vietnam stake; the transaction is regional and goes through corporate ownership channels (share deal), so material impact on KO’s consolidated results is limited — watch for further details on timing/terms. Swire Pacific reshapes Vietnam Coca‑Cola stake sale
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest in KO rose meaningfully in February (~21.5% increase to ~41.2M shares as of Feb 13), which could add downward pressure or volatility if shorts increase activity or if a squeeze/reversal occurs — monitor volume and investor flows.

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.