Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) Stock Price Down 0.1%

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) shares were down 0.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $57.93 and last traded at $58.06. Approximately 11,236,839 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 6% from the average daily volume of 11,953,850 shares. The stock had previously closed at $58.14.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on KO. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $67.18.

Coca-Cola Stock Up 0.7 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $253.97 billion, a PE ratio of 23.75, a PEG ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $59.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $58.53.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 23.42% and a return on equity of 42.50%. The business had revenue of $10.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.45 earnings per share. Coca-Cola’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.485 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This is an increase from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.29%. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio is 78.23%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO James Quincey sold 247,188 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total transaction of $15,063,636.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 442,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,968,753.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Coca-Cola news, EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 52,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $3,138,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 143,383 shares in the company, valued at $8,602,980. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 247,188 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total value of $15,063,636.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 442,546 shares in the company, valued at $26,968,753.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 375,407 shares of company stock valued at $22,795,742 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Coca-Cola

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new position in Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. ZRC Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 213.3% during the fourth quarter. ZRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Tidemark LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Coca-Cola during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.