Welch Group LLC Increases Stock Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Welch Group LLC boosted its stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 2.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 279,984 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,299 shares during the quarter. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $22,754,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in CocaCola by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,200,276,000 after buying an additional 5,886,352 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 167,850,330 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,734,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,992,327 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 89,984,203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,273,037,000 after acquiring an additional 433,547 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,865,807,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 9.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 44,018,963 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,347,642,000 after acquiring an additional 3,836,640 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on KO shares. Bank of America increased their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Argus lifted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Seaport Research Partners set a $95.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $93.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.76.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of CocaCola stock opened at $87.66 on Monday. CocaCola Company has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $90.92. The company has a market cap of $377.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.32, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $83.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $79.86.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The company had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. CocaCola’s payout ratio is presently 63.66%.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total transaction of $13,313,290.73. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,439,553.27. This trade represents a 35.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Sanket Ray sold 9,958 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.50, for a total transaction of $861,367.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 62,105 shares in the company, valued at $5,372,082.50. The trade was a 13.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 1,433,535 shares of company stock valued at $121,922,698 in the last three months. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raised outlook and margin gains: Coca-Cola’s improved full-year revenue and earnings guidance, expanding margins, broad-based volume growth and market-share gains reinforce confidence in its operating momentum. Coca-Cola’s Raised Guidance And Margin Gains Might Change the Case for Investing in Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Volume growth supports demand: Recent analysis points to steady global volume growth, suggesting consumers continue to purchase Coca-Cola products despite broader economic pressure. Coca-Cola in Focus as Volume Growth Anchors a Steady Picture
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations remain supportive: Analysts have issued higher earnings forecasts and are preparing for third-quarter results, extending the positive reaction to the company’s latest earnings beat. Coca-Cola reported $0.97 in quarterly EPS versus a $0.93 consensus estimate, with revenue up 6.2% year over year.
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive and income appeal: Commentary continues to highlight KO as a Dividend King and a long-term Warren Buffett-backed holding. That reputation may support demand from investors seeking reliable dividends and relatively defensive consumer-staples exposure. 5 Dividend Kings to Buy and Hold Forever in August
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and sustainability are under debate: Investors are weighing Coca-Cola’s stronger results against whether its recent momentum can persist through the second half of the year. With the stock trading at a premium earnings multiple, further gains may depend on continued execution. The Debates That Matter for KO Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro risks remain: Coverage is monitoring inflation, gasoline prices and consumer spending because higher household costs could pressure demand or reduce purchasing power. Why Is Coca-Cola in Focus as Gasoline Prices Pressure Consumers?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bottler financing news: Coca-Cola ?çecek authorized management to seek up to $1 billion in overseas debt for refinancing and growth. The development concerns the regional bottler rather than Coca-Cola directly, so its immediate effect on KO is likely limited. Coca-Cola ?çecek Seeks Up to USD 1 Billion in Overseas Debt

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.