CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Stock Price Down 1% – Time to Sell?

Shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) fell 1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $87.12 and last traded at $87.33. 17,600,129 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average session volume of 16,964,799 shares. The stock had previously closed at $88.25.

CocaCola News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola was highlighted as a potential long-term dividend-growth investment. The company has increased its dividend for 64 consecutive years, with roughly 4.5% annual dividend growth over the past decade. The Ultimate Dividend Growth Stock to Buy With $1,000 Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports emphasized KO’s defensive characteristics and approximately 2.4% dividend yield, suggesting the shares may appeal to investors seeking income and stability during a potential market pullback. Prediction: Here’s What a $15,000 Investment in Coca-Cola Stock Could Be Worth in 5 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage comparing Coca-Cola with the S&P 500 and 10-year Treasury bonds presented its dividend as a middle-ground income option: higher than the index yield while retaining the potential for long-term equity appreciation. This Dividend Stock Provides a Middle Ground for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Articles revisited Coca-Cola’s strong historical performance and Berkshire Hathaway’s long-held investment, reinforcing the company’s reputation as a durable compounder and income-producing asset. Coca-Cola Returns Since Warren Buffett Invested
• Neutral Sentiment: The projected future dividend income and five-year investment values are based on historical growth assumptions rather than new company guidance, so they support the long-term narrative but are unlikely to materially affect near-term trading.
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted that Coca-Cola is not inexpensive. Its valuation may limit near-term upside, particularly while Treasury yields remain elevated and fixed-income investments compete with dividend stocks for investor capital. Coca-Cola Valuation and Dividend Growth

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on KO shares. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Bank of America raised their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. HSBC lowered CocaCola from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Barclays increased their price objective on CocaCola from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.76.

CocaCola Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $375.74 billion, a PE ratio of 26.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.34. 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 business’s fifty day moving average is $87.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $81.77.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted 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 business had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.87 EPS. The company’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. Equities research analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. CocaCola’s payout ratio is 63.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola

In other news, 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 $24,439,553.27. This trade represents a 35.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total transaction of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 926,620 shares of company stock worth $83,075,714. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Eurizon SLJ Capital Ltd purchased a new position in CocaCola during the fourth quarter valued at $552,000. Banco Santander S.A. raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 3.1% in the second quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 1,090,758 shares of the company’s stock worth $88,646,000 after buying an additional 32,723 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 3,852,525 shares of the company’s stock worth $269,330,000 after buying an additional 31,694 shares during the period. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of CocaCola by 68.5% during the 2nd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 218,199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,733,000 after buying an additional 88,690 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. grew its stake in shares of CocaCola by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,759,546 shares of the company’s stock valued at $123,010,000 after acquiring an additional 79,946 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CocaCola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage company best known for its Coca-Cola soft drink, which was first introduced in 1886. The company was incorporated in 1892 and has grown into one of the world’s largest beverage businesses.

Its portfolio includes sparkling soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite and Fanta, along with water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice and dairy-based beverages. Other brands associated with the company include Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Costa Coffee, fairlife and Topo Chico.

The Coca-Cola Company primarily develops, owns and markets beverage brands, while relying on a global network of independent bottling partners and distributors to manufacture, package and deliver many of its products.