Sterling Capital Management LLC Cuts Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Sterling Capital Management LLC reduced its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 12.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 156,623 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,399 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $11,911,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors raised its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors now owns 3,819 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Alteri Wealth LLC now owns 7,738 shares of the company’s stock valued at $541,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Apexium Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% in the third quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $810,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in CocaCola by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,718,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stockman Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in CocaCola by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Stockman Wealth Management Inc. now owns 8,901 shares of the company’s stock worth $622,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CocaCola news, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chairman owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at $9,842,608.29. This trade represents a 78.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 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. Also, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 23,984 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.41, for a total value of $2,000,505.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 157,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,128,734. This trade represents a 13.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 899,905 shares of company stock valued at $71,832,315. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: 24/7 Wall St. issued a bullish view on KO, calling it a quality compounder with a price target of $90.07, implying about 12% upside and recommending the stock as a buy. Coca Cola Price Prediction: The Case for 12% Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Coca-Cola as one of four defensive stocks to own as inflation rises, reinforcing KO’s appeal as a stable consumer staples name in a more uncertain macro environment. Buy 4 Defensive Stocks as Inflation Hits Highest Level in 3 Years
• Positive Sentiment: Growth rankings also looked supportive, with an article noting Monster Beverage and Coca-Cola leading S&P 500 consumer staples stocks by growth grades, which may help sentiment around KO’s fundamental profile. Monster Beverage, Coca-Cola lead S&P 500 consumer staples stocks by growth grades
• Neutral Sentiment: The company announced a leadership transition in its North America operating unit, with Jennifer Mann stepping down and CFO John Murphy taking over temporarily. This is operationally important, but the market impact is likely limited unless it signals broader strategic changes. The Coca-Cola Company Announces Leadership Transition for North America Operating Unit
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching the company’s long-running $20 billion IRS tax dispute, which has reached a promising stage in court but still represents a potential overhang on long-term cash flow and taxes. Coca-Cola’s longstanding $20B tax case is off to a promising start in the courtroom
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analysis questioning whether the current share price is justified after a roughly 19% one-year decline could temper enthusiasm, even though the stock remains viewed by some as attractively valued. Coca-Cola (KO) Stock After 19% Year Loss Is The Current Price Justified?

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on KO. Truist Financial set a $88.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $84.00 price target for the company. Citigroup upped their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $86.88.

CocaCola Price Performance

KO stock opened at $82.63 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $355.51 billion, a PE ratio of 25.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.35. CocaCola Company has a 12 month low of $65.35 and a 12 month high of $84.04. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $79.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $76.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.24 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 40.55%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.73 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend 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 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.