Beatriz Perez Sells 21,326 Shares of CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Stock

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) EVP Beatriz Perez sold 21,326 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.75, for a total value of $1,722,074.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 173,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,028,536. The trade was a 10.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:KO traded up $0.87 on Friday, hitting $81.37. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,163,464 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,932,945. CocaCola Company has a 12 month low of $65.35 and a 12 month high of $81.69. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $73.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.46. The company has a market capitalization of $349.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.36.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The firm had revenue of $11.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.55 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a boost from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.11%.

Institutional Trading of CocaCola

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in CocaCola during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,865,807,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its stake in CocaCola by 867.2% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 14,432,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,008,954,000 after buying an additional 12,939,959 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in CocaCola by 1,206.9% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 10,641,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $743,913,000 after buying an additional 9,826,768 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in CocaCola by 29.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,182,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,809,146,000 after acquiring an additional 9,078,447 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors grew its holdings in CocaCola by 98.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,573,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $879,015,000 after purchasing an additional 6,246,627 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑term and multi‑year EPS estimates for KO (Q1/Q2 FY2026–FY2028 and FY2026–FY2027 upgrades), signaling improving analyst expectations for earnings growth and supporting valuation. Zacks Research estimate updates
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend‑focused coverage named Coca‑Cola among safe, long‑running dividend payers, reinforcing income investor demand for KO given its long dividend history and defensive consumer‑staples status. 5 US Blue Chip Giants That Have Paid Dividends for Over 100 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Additional media recommended several of Warren Buffett’s high‑quality dividend names as defensive buys amid market uncertainty; Coca‑Cola’s inclusion in such lists can attract long‑term and yield‑seeking flows. Is the Warren Buffett Correction Coming? Buy His 4 Safest Dividend Stocks Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Swire Pacific restructured a planned disposal involving its Coca‑Cola Vietnam stake; the transaction is regional and goes through corporate ownership channels (share deal), so material impact on KO’s consolidated results is limited — watch for further details on timing/terms. Swire Pacific reshapes Vietnam Coca‑Cola stake sale
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest in KO rose meaningfully in February (~21.5% increase to ~41.2M shares as of Feb 13), which could add downward pressure or volatility if shorts increase activity or if a squeeze/reversal occurs — monitor volume and investor flows.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on KO shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $84.33.

About CocaCola

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.