Rathbones Group PLC Increases Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Rathbones Group PLC boosted its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 3.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,925,755 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 173,436 shares during the period. CocaCola comprises approximately 1.3% of Rathbones Group PLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $414,270,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in CocaCola in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in CocaCola in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in CocaCola in the third quarter worth $31,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup raised their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price target on CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.80.

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of CocaCola stock opened at $76.68 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $330.03 billion, a PE ratio of 25.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.36. The business has a 50 day moving average of $77.30 and a 200 day moving average of $72.26. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $82.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23.

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 business had revenue of $11.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.55 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.74%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other CocaCola news, CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 279,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,538,916.84. The trade was a 20.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 250,688 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.14, for a total value of $19,839,448.32. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 278,155 shares in the company, valued at $22,013,186.70. This represents a 47.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796 over the last ninety days. 0.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive‑sector tailwind: analysis highlights consumer staples like KO outperforming as recession odds rise, supporting demand for KO’s steady dividends and low beta. As Recession Odds Climb, Defensive Sectors Continue to Outperform (KO)
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend credibility: Coca‑Cola is featured among “safest dividend aristocrats,” reinforcing appeal to income investors who value the company’s long dividend growth record. The 5 Safest Dividend Aristocrats Are Perfect For Retirees Needing Growth & Income
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/marketing initiative: Coke Florida rolled out limited‑edition America250 cans — a consumer/PR boost that can help share gains in local markets and supports brand engagement. Coca‑Cola Beverages Florida Unveils America250 Commemorative Cans
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage attention: pieces from Zacks and Yahoo revisit KO’s valuation and status as a trending stock — they raise investor awareness but offer mixed signals on near‑term upside. Is Trending Stock CocaCola Company (The) (KO) a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market‑wide commentary: a Motley Fool piece on buying blue‑chip weakness notes broad market softness; such macro pressure can create buying opportunities but doesn’t single out KO materially. Two Blue Chip Stocks I’d Buy Into This Week’s Weakne
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability concern: coverage questions whether the recent $0.53 quarterly dividend increase is fully supported by earnings and cash flow, raising the risk that higher payout expectations pressure valuation if growth slows. Investors focused on payout ratios and free cash flow should dig into the company’s guidance and capital allocation plans. Is Coca‑Cola Paying More in Dividends Than It Can Afford?

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.