QRG Capital Management Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

QRG Capital Management Inc. lowered its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 16.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 348,659 shares of the company’s stock after selling 68,410 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $23,123,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 5,142.9% during the 2nd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 367 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in CocaCola during the second quarter worth $26,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in CocaCola in the third quarter worth $27,000. GFG Capital LLC bought a new position in CocaCola in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, MMA Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $70.44 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $70.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.35. CocaCola Company has a 1-year low of $61.37 and a 1-year high of $74.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company has a market capitalization of $303.01 billion, a PE ratio of 23.32, a PEG ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.39.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.04. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 43.62%. The firm had revenue of $12.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.966-2.966 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management shakeup and new chief digital officer announced, aimed at stepping up digital marketing, consumer data capabilities and e‑commerce — could help accelerate top‑line growth and margin expansion over time. 1 Prediction for KO in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend durability and Buffett association continue to support investor demand: KO remains a Dividend King with 63+ years of increases, attracting income‑oriented and long‑term holders. This background reduces downside in uncertain markets. 1 Prediction for KO in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Short‑term attention from a viral Lionel Messi video has driven incremental retail interest and helped lift sentiment and trading volume recently. Such publicity can create near‑term positive momentum. 1 Prediction for KO in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned IPO of Hindustan Coca‑Cola Beverages (HCCB) in India (targeting roughly $1B) could unlock value and raise capital for brand initiatives, but the benefit depends on deal structure and use of proceeds. Execution timeline and proceeds are uncertain. Coca-Cola plans to pop the cap on $1 billion HCCB IPO this year
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is middling for a defensive consumer name (P/E in the mid‑20s in recent coverage). That tradeoff — steady cash flow and dividends vs. limited high‑growth upside — makes KO more attractive to income investors than growth seekers. 2 Buffett Stocks to Load Up On—And 1 to Ditch
• Negative Sentiment: Potential risks: the HCCB IPO and continued strategy of asset‑light brand focus could reduce consolidated revenue growth and introduce short‑term execution/market‑reaction risk; if growth remains reliant on pricing rather than volume, margin and volume sensitivity could cap upside. Coca‑Cola is on track for a $1B summer IPO of its India bottler

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Evercore ISI restated an “outperform” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on CocaCola from $75.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.08.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Manuel Arroyo sold 139,689 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.80, for a total value of $9,889,981.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 58,067 shares in the company, valued at $4,111,143.60. The trade was a 70.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Max R. Levchin acquired 7,206 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $69.87 per share, with a total value of $503,483.22. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 14,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $996,835.29. This trade represents a 102.05% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 225,252 shares of company stock worth $15,953,007 over the last ninety days. 0.97% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

CocaCola 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.