HS Management Partners LLC Lowers Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

HS Management Partners LLC lowered its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 39.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 559,750 shares of the company’s stock after selling 361,325 shares during the quarter. CocaCola comprises approximately 4.8% of HS Management Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. HS Management Partners LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $37,123,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KO. Sava Infond d.o.o. grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 210.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sava Infond d.o.o. now owns 5,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $407,000 after buying an additional 3,900 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.7% during 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 period. Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in CocaCola by 3.6% during the second quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 130,164 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,209,000 after acquiring an additional 4,469 shares in the last quarter. Aberdeen Group plc grew its holdings in CocaCola by 5.0% in the second quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 4,557,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $322,455,000 after purchasing an additional 216,752 shares during the period. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in CocaCola in the second quarter valued at $22,443,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on KO. Bank of America boosted their target price on CocaCola from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Friday, December 5th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on CocaCola from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.08.

CocaCola Trading Up 2.7%

NYSE KO opened at $69.34 on Friday. 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 business has a fifty day simple moving average of $70.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $69.32. CocaCola Company has a 12 month low of $60.71 and a 12 month high of $74.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $298.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.96, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.39.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 43.62%. CocaCola has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.966-2.966 EPS. On average, analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Manuel Arroyo sold 139,689 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $4,111,143.60. The trade was a 70.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Max R. Levchin purchased 7,206 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were acquired at an average price 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 $996,835.29. This trade represents a 102.05% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 225,252 shares of company stock worth $15,953,007. Corporate insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo added KO to its Q1 2026 Tactical Ideas list, signaling institutional conviction that Coca‑Cola is well positioned heading into the year — a catalyst for buying from momentum and model portfolios. Wells Fargo Adds Coca-Cola (KO) to Q1 2026 Tactical Ideas List
• Positive Sentiment: Articles highlighting KO among under‑the‑radar consumer staples with pricing power reinforce expectations of margin resilience and steady cash flow — supportive for the dividend and valuation. 5 Under-the-Radar Consumer Staples Stocks With Pricing Power (KO)
• Positive Sentiment: KO continues to be featured among Dividend Aristocrats and dividend‑focused buy lists, underscoring its appeal to income investors and likely supporting demand from dividend funds. The Dividend Aristocrats No One’s Talking About (And Their 30+ Year Track Records)
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage in consumer‑staples roundups (e.g., Motley Fool, Zacks) and analyst notes reiterating KO as a defensive, dividend‑paying name can attract flows from income and defensive equity allocations. 3 Dividend Stocks to Double Up On Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Media pieces comparing KO to PepsiCo and evaluating analyst ratings keep KO in investors’ screens; useful for context but not an immediate directional catalyst. Coca-Cola Vs Pepsi Stock: Which is the Better Investment for 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several roundup pieces note KO as attracting investor attention and as a Buffett‑aligned, dividend play — these sustain interest but are unlikely to move the stock much on their own. CocaCola Company (The) (KO) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of a CEO transition, restructuring and Atlanta layoffs raises governance and execution risk; investors may reprice some of KO’s multiple until clarity on cost savings and growth emerges. How Investors May Respond To Coca-Cola (KO) CEO Transition, Restructuring, and Atlanta Layoffs
• Negative Sentiment: Technical note: KO slipped below its 200‑day moving average with weakening volume in recent coverage — a potential short‑term bearish signal that can amplify selling if macro or company news turns negative. Coca-Cola Trades Below 200-Day SMA: Opportunity or Warning Sign?

CocaCola 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.