CocaCola Company (The) $KO Shares Sold by Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.

Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 7.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,810,934 shares of the company’s stock after selling 136,071 shares during the period. CocaCola accounts for 2.1% of Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $126,602,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the fourth quarter worth about $98,000. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,558,129 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,929,000 after purchasing an additional 32,234 shares during the last quarter. &PARTNERS grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. &PARTNERS now owns 449,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,396,000 after purchasing an additional 51,184 shares during the last quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the fourth quarter worth about $7,437,000. Finally, Night Squared LP bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the fourth quarter worth about $12,460,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on KO shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded CocaCola from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on CocaCola from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup upped their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $89.00 target price on CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.69.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other CocaCola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total transaction of $2,559,411.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,074,096.90. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $34,960,398.48. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at $9,842,608.29. The trade was a 78.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last three months, insiders have sold 899,905 shares of company stock worth $71,832,315. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola is being highlighted by analysts and market writers as a defensive staple and a low-beta stock that can help investors navigate inflation and rate volatility, which supports its appeal in uncertain markets. Inflationary Woes Continue Despite End of Iran War: 5 Defensive Picks
• Positive Sentiment: KO is also being featured in dividend-focused articles as a “Dividend King” and a stock near record highs, reinforcing the market’s confidence in its long-term cash generation and income stability. 3 Dividend Kings With Income, Stability, and a Possible Catalyst
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces frame Coca-Cola as a strong consumer-staples holding versus peers like Keurig Dr Pepper, suggesting investors still view KO as a premium brand with scale and pricing power. Coca-Cola vs. Keurig: Which Beverage Stock Should Investors Choose?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary also points to cost-saving initiatives and operating efficiencies helping offset commodity inflation and support margins, which is constructive for earnings durability. Are Coca-Cola’s Cost-Saving Initiatives Boosting Profitability?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola’s Smartwater expansion through PVOLVE studios is a brand-building move that could help visibility, but it looks more like a marketing partnership than a near-term financial catalyst. Coca-Cola Expands Smartwater Reach Through PVOLVE Studios
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the supportive commentary, KO has recently pulled back from its highs, and one market report noted the stock fell as broader market sentiment improved, suggesting investors may be rotating out of defensives. Coca-Cola (KO) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of KO stock opened at $80.29 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $78.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.81. CocaCola Company has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $84.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $345.44 billion, a PE ratio of 25.25, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.05. CocaCola had a return on equity of 40.55% and a net margin of 27.80%.The business had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.73 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.67%.

CocaCola 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.