Legal & General Group Plc Cuts Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Legal & General Group Plc reduced its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 5.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,593,267 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,458,520 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $1,859,135,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in CocaCola by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,200,276,000 after purchasing an additional 5,886,352 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in CocaCola by 0.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 165,858,003 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,083,296,000 after purchasing an additional 923,278 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in CocaCola by 15.1% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,592,732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,198 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in CocaCola by 5.5% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 26,721,843 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,772,193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,393,760 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors raised its position in CocaCola by 4.7% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 21,378,798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,417,841,000 after purchasing an additional 950,851 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on KO shares. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 price objective on CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays raised their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 target price on CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $86.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO James Quincey sold 250,688 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.14, for a total value of $19,839,448.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 278,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,013,186.70. This trade represents a 47.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 28,765 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.41, for a total value of $2,284,228.65. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 786,726 shares of company stock valued at $62,547,977. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America Securities initiated or reiterated a Buy on Coca-Cola, reinforcing confidence in the company’s earnings durability and long-term outlook. Coca-Cola (KO) Gets a Buy from Bank of America Securities
• Positive Sentiment: Articles emphasizing Coca-Cola as a dividend-growth blue chip and one of Warren Buffett’s favored holdings support the stock’s appeal as a stable, income-oriented investment. Warren Buffett earns a 20% dividend yield-on-cost with Coca-Cola stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage notes that soft-drink companies are still navigating margin and tariff pressures, which could affect the sector but does not point to a Coca-Cola-specific problem. 5 Soft Drinks Stocks to Track Amid Margin & Tariff Pressures
• Neutral Sentiment: Several comparison and “best stock” articles kept Coca-Cola in the spotlight, including bullish long-term income lists and a KO vs. Celsius debate, but these were mostly opinion-driven rather than new fundamentals. Coca-Cola vs. Celsius: Which Consumer Goods Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: One recent article framed Coca-Cola as a potential short candidate because the shares have rallied sharply and now trade near highs, raising valuation concerns despite solid fundamentals. Coca-Cola or Philip Morris: Which Is the Better Short Bet Right Now?

CocaCola Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of CocaCola stock opened at $81.56 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $77.41 and a 200-day moving average of $74.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $350.90 billion, a PE ratio of 25.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.35. CocaCola Company has a 1-year low of $65.35 and a 1-year high of $82.66.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $12.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.24 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 40.55% and a net margin of 27.80%.The company’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.73 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.67%.

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.