CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Shares Down 1% – Time to Sell?

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO)’s stock price was down 1% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $74.39 and last traded at $74.7640. Approximately 33,239,591 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 76% from the average daily volume of 18,865,758 shares. The stock had previously closed at $75.55.

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on KO to $90 (from $87) and reiterated a Buy rating, citing shifting consumer trends that could help growth — a near‑term bullish signal from the Street. Jefferies Raises Coca‑Cola (KO) Target
• Positive Sentiment: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway continues to hold Coca‑Cola and commentary highlights how time and dividends have produced strong long‑term returns — a reaffirmation of institutional confidence. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Is Doubling Its Money in Coca‑Cola…
• Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola was highlighted as a top dividend‑growth name in investor roundups, reinforcing its appeal to income and defensive investors. 3 Best Dividend Growth Stocks to Buy in March
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks flagged rising investor attention in KO searches and summarized key data points investors should know — useful context but not a direct catalyst. CocaCola Company (The) (KO) is Attracting Investor Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary pieces offer mixed takeaways on consumer staples peers and Coca‑Cola’s positioning; useful for longer‑term thesis but not an immediate market mover. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Goods Companies: Coca‑Cola (KO)…
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage noted KO’s recent intraday/near‑term decline and that the stock has underperformed the broader market in recent trading sessions, contributing to downward pressure. Coca‑Cola (KO) Declines More Than Market
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation checks and coverage noting a cooled share price amid a CEO handover, Sprite’s NBA return and product launches add near‑term uncertainty that can pressure sentiment until execution is clearer. Coca‑Cola (KO) Valuation Check As Sprite Returns To NBA…

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $83.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $84.60.

CocaCola Stock Down 1.0%

The business’s 50-day moving average is $76.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $71.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $321.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.59, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.46.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 41.31%. The firm had revenue of $11.82 billion during 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. The business’s revenue for the quarter 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, equities analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.74%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,538,916.84. This trade represents a 20.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total value of $1,872,702.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,754,735. This represents a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796 over the last 90 days. 0.97% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CocaCola

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in CocaCola by 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 39,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,433,000 after buying an additional 4,591 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of CocaCola by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,000 after acquiring an additional 293 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the first quarter worth $210,000. LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter worth $304,000. Finally, Primecap Management Co. CA acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter worth $2,490,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CocaCola

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.