Coca-Cola Company (The) $KO Stock Purchased by Verdence Capital Advisors LLC

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 19.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 44,592 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 7,250 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $3,838,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Banco Santander S.A. raised its stake in Coca-Cola by 3.1% during the second quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 1,090,758 shares of the company’s stock worth $88,646,000 after acquiring an additional 32,723 shares in the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 68.5% in the 2nd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 218,199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,733,000 after purchasing an additional 88,690 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional boosted its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 402.3% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 163,248 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,052,000 after purchasing an additional 130,746 shares in the last quarter. Moore Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the 2nd quarter worth about $12,905,000. Finally, Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 2,091.3% in the 2nd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 361,934 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,414,000 after purchasing an additional 345,417 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Coca-Cola

Here are the key news stories impacting Coca-Cola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly adjusted EPS was $0.91, above the approximately $0.88 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $13.38 billion versus expectations of $12.92 billion. Revenue increased 7.2% year over year. Coca-Cola Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Volume Growth, Outlook Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Global unit case volume grew 5%, organic revenue increased 7%, and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volume rose 16%, indicating that growth was supported by demand and volume—not solely by pricing. Coca-Cola Organic Revenue Jumps 7% Despite Flat North America Volumes
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year comparable EPS growth outlook to at least 11%, up from 9% to 10%, marking the third consecutive outlook increase. The company also cited sustained momentum in premium beverages and emerging markets. Coca-Cola Raises Profit Outlook, but Warns Consumer Pressures Could Persist Into 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Year-to-date free cash flow reached $11.4 billion, supporting Coca-Cola’s long-standing dividend appeal and reinforcing its defensive profile for income-oriented investors. Coca-Cola: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Diet Coke remained a notable demand driver, with CEO Henrique Braun dismissing the “fridge cigarette” nickname as consumer-driven branding rather than a business concern.
• Negative Sentiment: North American volume was flat, with weakness in water, sports drinks, coffee, and tea. Investors are concerned that international growth is currently offsetting softness in Coca-Cola’s home market. Coca-Cola Stock Pulls Back Amid Slowing U.S. Demand
• Negative Sentiment: KO had already risen sharply and trades at a premium valuation, with a P/E near 27. Investors may therefore be taking profits after the beat, particularly as management warned that consumer pressures could persist into 2027.

Coca-Cola Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $91.33 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $89.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $81.73. The company has a market cap of $392.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.43 and a beta of 0.32. Coca-Cola Company has a 12-month low of $67.27 and a 12-month high of $95.37.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $13.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.92 billion. The firm’s revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.82 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.30 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.66%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Coca-Cola from a “buy (a+)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a research report on Friday. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $83.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 price objective (up from $88.00) on shares of Coca-Cola in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $93.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $96.59.

Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola

In other news, insider Sanket Ray sold 9,958 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.50, for a total value of $861,367.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 62,105 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,372,082.50. This trade represents a 13.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,186,798.70. The trade was a 18.29% decrease in their position. 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 323,806 shares of company stock worth $28,820,577 in the last quarter. 0.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1886, it is best known for Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized soft drink brands.

The company owns, licenses, and markets a broad portfolio of beverages, including sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and energy drinks. Its brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, fairlife, and Costa Coffee, among others.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.