The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) Receives $68.27 Average PT from Analysts

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $68.58.

Several research analysts have issued reports on KO shares. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $65.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Argus increased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays increased their target price on Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st.

Insider Activity at Coca-Cola

In related news, EVP Henrique Braun sold 57,298 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.08, for a total value of $3,614,357.84. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 52,466 shares in the company, valued at $3,309,555.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Coca-Cola news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 18,551 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.41, for a total value of $1,102,114.91. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Henrique Braun sold 57,298 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.08, for a total value of $3,614,357.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 52,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,309,555.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 199,389 shares of company stock worth $12,322,179 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coca-Cola

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KO. ZRC Wealth Management LLC raised its position 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares during the period. Tidemark LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, ESL Trust Services LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $62.00 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $59.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $267.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.80, a PEG ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.57. Coca-Cola has a one year low of $51.55 and a one year high of $63.76.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.02. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 42.74% and a net margin of 23.41%. The firm had revenue of $11.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.68 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Coca-Cola will post 2.82 EPS for the current year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, June 14th will be issued a $0.485 dividend. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.13%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio is 77.60%.

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.