CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 879,812 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $58,349,000.
A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter worth approximately $3,846,270,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 367,441,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,996,519,000 after purchasing an additional 6,241,163 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in CocaCola by 7,239.2% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,149,632 shares of the company’s stock worth $435,086,000 after purchasing an additional 6,065,840 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in CocaCola by 15.1% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,592,732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in CocaCola by 343.3% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 4,486,096 shares of the company’s stock worth $297,518,000 after purchasing an additional 3,474,015 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other CocaCola news, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total transaction of $7,996,723.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 410,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,016,431. The trade was a 19.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total value of $1,847,595.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,383.25. The trade was a 57.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.
CocaCola Stock Down 0.3%
CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.55 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. Analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.
CocaCola Increases Dividend
The company 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 $0.53 dividend. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.74%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several analysts recently weighed in on KO shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.60.
Read Our Latest Analysis on CocaCola
Key Stories Impacting CocaCola
Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on KO to $90 and maintains a Buy rating — a material analyst upgrade that signals upside versus current levels and can support investor demand. Benzinga
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and reports point to zero‑sugar variants (Coke Zero Sugar, Sprite Zero Sugar) as a margin and pricing tailwind, helping volume growth and profitability as consumers shift to low‑calorie options. This reinforces KO’s ability to expand margins even if top‑line growth is modest. Zacks: Is Zero Sugar Acting as a Margin Driver
- Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola secured a high‑profile Sprite sponsorship with the NBA, increasing brand exposure for Sprite and supporting marketing-driven volume gains in a key demographic. This is especially relevant as the company pushes flavored and zero‑sugar innovations. MSN: Sprite back to the NBA
- Positive Sentiment: KO appears on a “high‑yielding stocks to buy” list, which can attract income‑focused investors given Coca‑Cola’s dividend profile. Inclusion in retail investor lists can help support demand. 247WallSt: High‑Yielding Stocks
- Neutral Sentiment: Corporate philanthropy: The American Indian College Fund honored Coca‑Cola First Generation Scholars — a reputational/ESG positive but with limited direct near‑term impact on the stock. GlobeNewswire: Coca‑Cola Scholars
- Negative Sentiment: Some commentary urges caution: a Seeking Alpha piece recommends a defensive stance on KO, arguing valuation and macro risks may limit near‑term upside — a viewpoint that can weigh on sentiment among growth‑oriented holders. Seeking Alpha: Time To Play Defensive
- Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting a product shift (new Mango Citrus Sprite Walmart exclusive) and the retirement of long‑serving board member Maria Elena Lagomasino raises governance and valuation questions for some investors—mixed operational upside but also structural change that can introduce near‑term uncertainty. Yahoo Finance: Product Shift & Board Change
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.
Further Reading
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