Ethic Inc. Acquires 8,991 Shares of Coca-Cola Company (The) $KO

Ethic Inc. boosted its holdings in Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 141,221 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,991 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $12,156,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 44,018,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,347,642,000 after buying an additional 3,836,640 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 1,763.2% during the 1st quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 3,383,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $257,302,000 after acquiring an additional 3,201,742 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the third quarter worth approximately $260,682,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 9.2% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 29,053,752 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,361,198,000 after acquiring an additional 2,439,026 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the second quarter worth approximately $197,470,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Coca-Cola News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola shares reportedly reached a record high as investors sought defensive stocks amid a market downturn. Its established brands and dividend income may be attracting buyers looking for more resilient businesses. Coca-Cola Stock Hits Record High as Market Crashes
• Positive Sentiment: Recent articles point to Coca-Cola’s shelf presence, distribution reach and consumer habits as sources of a durable competitive advantage. The company’s ability to raise prices while still growing volume supports the long-term investment case. Coca-Cola Stock Is a Buy Thanks to Shelf Space and Habits
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on the company’s 64 consecutive years of dividend increases. Its latest quarterly results beat estimates, with revenue up year over year, and coverage says the company raised its outlook and dividend—supporting its earnings and income appeal. Coca-Cola Earnings Beat Lifts Guidance and Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion despite higher marketing spending, supported by productivity gains and disciplined pricing, suggests Coca-Cola is balancing investment with profitability. Can Coca-Cola Keep Expanding Margins While Investing More?
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares, but the reported sale was to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, making it a limited signal about her view of the business. Coca-Cola EVP Share Sale
• Negative Sentiment: After a strong run this year and a move to record levels, valuation may constrain further gains; one dividend-focused article suggests prospective investors consider waiting before buying. Coca-Cola’s Dividend Record and Valuation

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

Coca-Cola stock opened at $95.69 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $89.96 and its 200-day moving average is $82.69. The company has a market cap of $411.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.19. Coca-Cola Company has a 12 month low of $67.27 and a 12 month high of $97.39.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 38.79% and a net margin of 28.65%. The business had revenue of $13.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.82 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The firm 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 $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Coca-Cola

In other Coca-Cola news, EVP Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.91, for a total transaction of $6,410,980.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 160,428 shares in the company, valued at $15,226,221.48. The trade was a 29.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total transaction of $10,126,419.45. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 41,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,761,319.45. The trade was a 72.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 228,913 shares of company stock valued at $21,056,900 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $86.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $93.00 price target (up from $83.00) on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. DZ Bank reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Coca-Cola from $93.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Coca-Cola currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.26.

Coca-Cola Profile

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.