Insider Selling: CocaCola (NYSE:KO) CFO Sells $13,313,290.73 in Stock

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total transaction of $13,313,290.73. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,439,553.27. This trade represents a 35.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

CocaCola Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of KO opened at $86.85 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $90.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $373.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.08, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.33. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $82.37 and a 200-day moving average of $79.11.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The business had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.87 EPS. CocaCola’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s payout ratio is 63.66%.

More CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s second-quarter performance exceeded expectations: earnings were $0.97 per share versus the $0.93 consensus, while revenue reached $13.37 billion, ahead of the $13.17 billion estimate and up 6.2% year over year. Can Coca-Cola’s Raised 2026 Outlook Support More Earnings Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s raised 2026 outlook, stronger margins, broad volume growth and a higher cash-flow outlook are reinforcing expectations for continued earnings momentum. Analysts currently project approximately $3.29 in full-year 2026 EPS, within Coca-Cola’s $3.27–$3.30 guidance range. Is Coca-Cola Stock Worth Buying as Growth Meets a Premium Valuation?
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains constructive, with recent price-target increases—including targets of $93 from Barclays, $95 from Bank of America and $100–$104 from several other firms. The consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average target near $95.76. Coca-Cola Stock Sees Fair Value Lift After Q2 Beat and Higher Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola continues to attract defensive-income investors because of its global brand portfolio, reliable dividend and relatively stable consumer-staples profile. This positioning may benefit KO as investors seek alternatives to volatile growth and artificial-intelligence stocks. I’ve Been Wrong About Coca-Cola Stock for Five Years
• Neutral Sentiment: CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares for about $13.3 million, reducing his holdings by roughly 35%. The filing attributed the transaction to tax withholding on vested equity awards, making it less concerning than discretionary insider selling. SEC Form 4 Filing
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 26 times earnings and a PEG ratio above 3, KO’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointing growth. Expansion in China is also pressuring margins, while tougher comparisons and the timing of an Africa sale could create near-term uncertainty. Coca-Cola Absorbs Margin Hit for Expansion in China

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on KO shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Truist Financial set a $88.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Friday, June 26th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.76.

Institutional Trading of CocaCola

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KO. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in CocaCola by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,316 shares of the company’s stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.4% in the second quarter. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,726 shares of the company’s stock valued at $709,000 after buying an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Everpar Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 0.9% in the second quarter. Everpar Advisors LLC now owns 14,504 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,179,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 0.3% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 40,879 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,109,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HORAN Wealth LLC grew its holdings in CocaCola by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 3,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

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.