Welch & Forbes LLC Lowers Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Welch & Forbes LLC trimmed its position in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 270,059 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,058 shares during the quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $21,948,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KO. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Guardian Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its stake in CocaCola by 438.8% in the fourth 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 bought a new position in CocaCola in the second quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 357 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on KO. UBS Group set a $104.00 target price on shares of CocaCola and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.76.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In related news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total transaction of $4,519,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total transaction of $13,313,290.73. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,439,553.27. This represents a 35.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 1,483,535 shares of company stock worth $126,442,198 in the last ninety days. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

CocaCola Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $90.91 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $84.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.37. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $91.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $391.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.30, a PEG ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.33.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.87 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. CocaCola’s payout ratio is presently 63.66%.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally supportive, with brokers highlighting Coca-Cola as an investment candidate. Recent quarterly results also exceeded expectations, with earnings and revenue above consensus and revenue growth of 6.2% year over year. Brokers Suggest Investing in Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Investors have been seeking established, lower-volatility companies, helping Coca-Cola reach an all-time high and break above $90 for the first time. Its strong brand portfolio and defensive characteristics may be attractive amid market uncertainty. Coca-Cola Hits All-Time High
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s long dividend record continues to support its appeal to income-focused investors. Berkshire Hathaway reportedly receives approximately $848 million annually from its Coca-Cola holdings, underscoring the scale and consistency of the payout. Dividend King Pays Berkshire
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage is also examining Coca-Cola’s cash flow and dividend sustainability as interest rates and bond yields rise. Higher yields could increase the relative appeal of fixed-income investments, although Coca-Cola’s recurring cash generation remains central to its income-investor case. Coca-Cola Cash Flow as Yields Rise
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares worth about $4.5 million. The filing states the sale covered tax withholding tied to vested equity awards, reducing its negative signaling value, though it may create modest near-term selling pressure.

CocaCola Company 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.