Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) EVP Beatriz Perez Sells 67,548 Shares of Stock

Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) EVP Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.91, for a total value of $6,410,980.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 160,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,226,221.48. This represents a 29.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Coca-Cola Stock Up 1.0%

Coca-Cola stock traded up $0.96 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $95.76. 12,539,387 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,909,449. The company has a market capitalization of $411.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.18, a PEG ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 0.28. The business’s 50 day moving average is $89.63 and its 200 day moving average is $82.31. Coca-Cola Company has a 52 week low of $67.27 and a 52 week high of $96.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 28.65% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The firm had revenue of $13.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.92 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.82 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Coca-Cola’s payout ratio is 62.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $100.00 target price (up from $88.00) on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. DZ Bank restated a “buy” rating on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Coca-Cola from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price target on Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $97.26.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coca-Cola

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Garrett Wealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $540,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Certified Advisory Corp raised its stake in Coca-Cola by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 33,711 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,902,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Coca-Cola by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,316 shares of the company’s stock valued at $270,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Coca-Cola by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Gill Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 4.1% during the second quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $243,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Coca-Cola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlights Coca-Cola’s pricing power amid inflation, suggesting it can raise prices to help offset higher costs. Coca-Cola Is Exercising its Pricing Power as Inflation Persists
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he would still buy KO even as it trades near a record. The article also underscores Berkshire Hathaway’s substantial annual dividend income from its long-held Coca-Cola investment, reinforcing the company’s appeal to income-focused investors. Coca-Cola Pays Warren Buffett’s Berkshire $848 Million a Year as Jim Cramer Says Buy KO Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage emphasizes Coca-Cola’s 64-year streak of annual dividend increases, supporting its reputation as a reliable defensive holding. Meet the Dividend Stock That Warren Buffett Backed for Decades
• Neutral Sentiment: KO is receiving elevated investor attention, but the “trending stock” coverage does not identify a specific new earnings or business development driving that interest. KO Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysis characterizes KO as a “shelter” investment rather than a growth stock. With shares near a record, investors may also weigh limited growth prospects against the valuation. Coca-Cola: Investors Are Buying Shelter, Not Growth

About Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1886, it is best known for Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized soft drink brands.

The company owns, licenses, and markets a broad portfolio of beverages, including sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and energy drinks. Its brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, fairlife, and Costa Coffee, among others.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.