Howard Capital Management Group LLC Trims Stock Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Howard Capital Management Group LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 404,313 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,557 shares during the period. CocaCola makes up about 1.8% of Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $28,266,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 13.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 39,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,433,000 after acquiring an additional 4,591 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,000 after acquiring an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the first quarter valued at $210,000. River Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in CocaCola by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. River Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $620,000 after purchasing an additional 397 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in CocaCola during the 2nd quarter worth about $209,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on KO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $84.80.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In other news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total transaction of $1,872,702.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $17,754,735. This represents a 9.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total value of $7,996,723.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 410,550 shares in the company, valued at $33,016,431. This trade represents a 19.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796 over the last 90 days. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

CocaCola Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $76.68 on Friday. 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 firm has a market cap of $330.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.22, a PEG ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.36. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $77.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.11. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $82.00.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.74%.

More CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola plans to invest $1 billion in South Africa through 2030, expanding distribution and capacity in a high‑growth market; that long‑term capex commitment supports revenue upside in emerging markets. Coca‑Cola To Invest $1 Billion In South Africa Through 2030
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank (reported by AmericanBankingNews) is forecasting strong price appreciation for KO, and analyst optimism can help lift sentiment and flows into the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for CocaCola
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Coca‑Cola’s history of earnings surprises and argues KO has the setup to beat again, supporting upside to estimates and helping sentiment ahead of the next report. Will Coca‑Cola (KO) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: KO continues to be highlighted as a reliable dividend stock (Dividend King/Aristocrat narratives), which attracts income-focused and defensive investors amid macro uncertainty. The 5 Safest Dividend Aristocrats Are Perfect For Retirees Needing Growth & Income
• Neutral Sentiment: Coke Florida rolled out limited‑edition America250 cans — a branding/marketing push that supports awareness but is unlikely to move near‑term fundamentals materially. Coca‑Cola Beverages Florida Unveils America250 Commemorative Cans
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent writeups on valuation note mixed short‑term share performance and higher near‑term multiples, which keeps some investors focused on price vs. fundamentals rather than driving a clear buy/sell signal. A Look At Coca‑Cola (KO) Valuation After Mixed Recent Share Performance
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks analyst blog flagged mixed demand and growth challenges alongside other large caps, highlighting potential near‑term headwinds that could cap upside if execution slips. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Exxon, The Coca‑Cola and Uber

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.