Graham Capital Management L.P. Reduces Stake in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Graham Capital Management L.P. reduced its stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 70.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 50,000 shares of the company’s stock after selling 118,950 shares during the quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $3,496,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the period. Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CocaCola Price Performance

KO opened at $80.29 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $78.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.81. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $84.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $345.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.25, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.35.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.05. CocaCola had a return on equity of 40.55% and a net margin of 27.80%.The firm had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.73 EPS. CocaCola’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on CocaCola in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $84.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on CocaCola from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $86.69.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola is being highlighted by analysts and market writers as a defensive staple and a low-beta stock that can help investors navigate inflation and rate volatility, which supports its appeal in uncertain markets. Inflationary Woes Continue Despite End of Iran War: 5 Defensive Picks
• Positive Sentiment: KO is also being featured in dividend-focused articles as a “Dividend King” and a stock near record highs, reinforcing the market’s confidence in its long-term cash generation and income stability. 3 Dividend Kings With Income, Stability, and a Possible Catalyst
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces frame Coca-Cola as a strong consumer-staples holding versus peers like Keurig Dr Pepper, suggesting investors still view KO as a premium brand with scale and pricing power. Coca-Cola vs. Keurig: Which Beverage Stock Should Investors Choose?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also points to cost-saving initiatives and operating efficiencies helping offset commodity inflation and support margins, which is constructive for earnings durability. Are Coca-Cola’s Cost-Saving Initiatives Boosting Profitability?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s Smartwater expansion through PVOLVE studios is a brand-building move that could help visibility, but it looks more like a marketing partnership than a near-term financial catalyst. Coca-Cola Expands Smartwater Reach Through PVOLVE Studios
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the supportive commentary, KO has recently pulled back from its highs, and one market report noted the stock fell as broader market sentiment improved, suggesting investors may be rotating out of defensives. Coca-Cola (KO) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total value of $2,559,411.25. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,074,096.90. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $34,960,398.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at $9,842,608.29. This represents a 78.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 899,905 shares of company stock valued at $71,832,315 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

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.