AM Squared Ltd Acquires 600 Shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

AM Squared Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) by 7.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,600 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the quarter. Coca-Cola comprises about 1.0% of AM Squared Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. AM Squared Ltd’s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $507,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. ZRC Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 213.3% during the fourth quarter. ZRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 320 shares during the period. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, KB Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $67.18.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 18,551 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.41, for a total value of $1,102,114.91. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 57,368 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.87, for a total transaction of $3,491,990.16. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,594,097.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 18,551 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.41, for a total transaction of $1,102,114.91. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 375,407 shares of company stock valued at $22,795,742. Company insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola Price Performance

Coca-Cola stock traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $58.06. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 11,236,839 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,953,850. The Coca-Cola Company has a fifty-two week low of $51.55 and a fifty-two week high of $64.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $59.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $58.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $250.31 billion, a PE ratio of 23.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.59.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.01. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 23.42% and a return on equity of 42.50%. The firm had revenue of $10.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.45 earnings per share. Coca-Cola’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th were paid a $0.485 dividend. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. This is an increase from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 78.23%.

Coca-Cola Profile

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.