HTLF Bank Invests $1.98 Million in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

HTLF Bank purchased a new position in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 33,623 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,981,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. ZRC Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 213.3% during the fourth quarter. ZRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares during the period. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. KB Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Retirement Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 57,368 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.87, for a total transaction of $3,491,990.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,594,097.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 57,368 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.87, for a total transaction of $3,491,990.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,594,097.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 247,188 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total transaction of $15,063,636.72. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 442,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,968,753.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 375,407 shares of company stock worth $22,795,742. 0.97% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Coca-Cola Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:KO traded up $0.62 during trading on Friday, reaching $59.53. 4,246,802 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,651,499. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $58.53. The firm has a market cap of $256.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.59. The Coca-Cola Company has a 1-year low of $51.55 and a 1-year high of $64.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $10.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.68 billion. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 23.42% and a return on equity of 42.50%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.45 EPS. Analysts anticipate that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $0.485 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.26%. This is an increase from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 78.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on KO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Coca-Cola presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $67.09.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.