John Murphy Sells 99,437 Shares of CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Stock

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 410,550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,016,431. This represents a 19.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

CocaCola Price Performance

NYSE KO traded up $0.87 on Friday, reaching $81.37. The company had a trading volume of 7,163,464 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,932,945. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $73.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.74. CocaCola Company has a 12 month low of $65.35 and a 12 month high of $81.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $349.93 billion, a PE ratio of 26.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.36. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The company had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.55 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is a boost from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.11%.

CocaCola News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑term and multi‑year EPS estimates for KO (Q1/Q2 FY2026–FY2028 and FY2026–FY2027 upgrades), signaling improving analyst expectations for earnings growth and supporting valuation. Zacks Research estimate updates
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend‑focused coverage named Coca‑Cola among safe, long‑running dividend payers, reinforcing income investor demand for KO given its long dividend history and defensive consumer‑staples status. 5 US Blue Chip Giants That Have Paid Dividends for Over 100 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Additional media recommended several of Warren Buffett’s high‑quality dividend names as defensive buys amid market uncertainty; Coca‑Cola’s inclusion in such lists can attract long‑term and yield‑seeking flows. Is the Warren Buffett Correction Coming? Buy His 4 Safest Dividend Stocks Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Swire Pacific restructured a planned disposal involving its Coca‑Cola Vietnam stake; the transaction is regional and goes through corporate ownership channels (share deal), so material impact on KO’s consolidated results is limited — watch for further details on timing/terms. Swire Pacific reshapes Vietnam Coca‑Cola stake sale
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest in KO rose meaningfully in February (~21.5% increase to ~41.2M shares as of Feb 13), which could add downward pressure or volatility if shorts increase activity or if a squeeze/reversal occurs — monitor volume and investor flows.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on CocaCola from $88.00 to $87.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $83.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $87.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $84.33.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in CocaCola during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in CocaCola during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CocaCola Company 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.