CocaCola (NYSE:KO) EVP Monica Howard Douglas Sells 20,000 Shares

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.16, for a total transaction of $1,603,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 57,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,611,765.12. This trade represents a 25.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

CocaCola Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $81.46 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $74.02 and its 200 day moving average is $70.82. The company has a market cap of $350.32 billion, a PE ratio of 26.79, a P/E/G ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.25. CocaCola Company has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $82.00.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The firm had revenue of $11.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.55 EPS. The business’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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KO. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $87.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup raised their target price on CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $85.00 price objective on CocaCola in a research report 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $84.33.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual call buying — Investors purchased ~61,806 call options on KO Friday (about 17% above a typical day), signaling short‑term bullish positioning that can amplify upside into upcoming catalysts.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised near‑term and multi‑year EPS forecasts — Analysts lifted Q1/Q2 and FY2026–FY2028 estimates, nudging forward EPS momentum and supporting a higher valuation multiple for KO.
• Neutral Sentiment: Defensive rotation / momentum into blue‑chips — MarketBeat highlighted KO as part of a broader move into defensive, dividend‑paying names as tech cools; that thematic flow helps demand for KO but is macro‑driven. MarketBeat Week in Review
• Neutral Sentiment: Swire Pacific restructuring of its Vietnam Coca‑Cola stake — Corporate-level changes in regional ownership could alter local distribution/partner dynamics; impact on KO is indirect and longer term. Swire Pacific update
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive press on KO as a long‑running dividend name — Inclusion in lists of century‑plus dividend payers/reliable blue‑chips supports buy‑and‑hold interest but is a slow, steady demand factor. 247WallSt dividend article
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling — Several executives disclosed recent share sales (CFO John Murphy sold ~99,437 shares; EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 20,000; EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold multiple blocks). Large insider dispositions can weigh on sentiment even when company fundamentals remain intact. SEC filings: CFO Form 4 EVP Monica Form 4 EVP Beatriz Form 4

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,200,276,000 after acquiring an additional 5,886,352 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in CocaCola by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 167,850,330 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,734,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,992,327 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in CocaCola by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 89,984,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,273,037,000 after purchasing an additional 433,547 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in CocaCola in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,865,807,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in CocaCola by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 40,289,857 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,816,697,000 after buying an additional 1,195,581 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.