QRG Capital Management Inc. Purchases 44,386 Shares of CocaCola Company (The) $KO

QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 9.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 501,734 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 44,386 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $40,776,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new stake in CocaCola in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Guardian Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CocaCola in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted 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 acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Timbuktu Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in CocaCola in the second quarter valued at about $41,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on KO shares. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $93.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Seaport Research Partners set a $95.00 target price on CocaCola in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CocaCola presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.76.

Insider Activity

In other CocaCola news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total transaction of $10,126,419.45. Following the transaction, the insider owned 41,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,761,319.45. This represents a 72.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $20,186,798.70. The trade was a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 926,620 shares of company stock worth $83,075,714. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

CocaCola Price Performance

KO traded down $0.54 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $88.07. The company had a trading volume of 13,002,112 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,992,680. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a market capitalization of $378.91 billion, a PE ratio of 26.45, a P/E/G ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.34. CocaCola Company has a twelve month low of $65.35 and a twelve month high of $92.49. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $87.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $81.90.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The company had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola’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. Equities research analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen maintained its Buy rating on Coca-Cola, providing continued analyst support for the stock. TD Cowen Keeps Their Buy Rating on Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s record of raising its dividend every year since 1962, including through market crashes, reinforces its appeal to income-focused investors and supports the stock’s defensive profile. Coca-Cola Has Raised Its Dividend Through Every Market Crash
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer staples are outperforming discretionary stocks in 2026, a favorable backdrop for Coca-Cola’s recession-resistant beverage business. Staples ETF Widens Gap Over Discretionary
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s announced $10 billion investment may be less significant than the headline suggests, limiting its near-term impact as a growth catalyst while indicating Coca-Cola is not embarking on an aggressive spending program. Coca-Cola’s $10 Billion Investment Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: An unresolved IRS case could create tax-related financial risk or uncertainty for Coca-Cola, potentially pressuring shares if investors anticipate a sizable liability. Coca-Cola Stock IRS Case
• Negative Sentiment: Recent selling suggests some profit-taking after a strong year-long advance. With KO trading at a premium earnings multiple and below its recent high, investors may be demanding clearer evidence of further upside. Coca-Cola Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick

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.