Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank reduced its holdings in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 13.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,104,899 shares of the company’s stock after selling 326,496 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $147,153,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 39,094,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,592,732,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,198 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in CocaCola in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $226,443,000. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in CocaCola during the 3rd quarter valued at $161,130,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in CocaCola by 288.1% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,025,595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $211,519,000 after buying an additional 2,245,959 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in CocaCola by 9.9% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 18,902,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,253,992,000 after buying an additional 1,709,860 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.
CocaCola Trading Up 0.0%
Shares of KO opened at $75.77 on Monday. CocaCola Company has a twelve month low of $65.35 and a twelve month high of $82.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $326.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $77.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.98.
CocaCola Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.74%.
Insider Activity
In related news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 28,765 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.41, for a total transaction of $2,284,228.65. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 250,688 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.14, for a total transaction of $19,839,448.32. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 278,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,013,186.70. This trade represents a 47.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 price target on CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $85.00.
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.
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