CocaCola Company (The) $KO Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 3.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 10,019,015 shares of the company’s stock after selling 389,783 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $700,429,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Apexium Financial LP increased its position in CocaCola by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Apexium Financial LP now owns 12,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $810,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. increased its position in CocaCola by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $262,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC increased its position in CocaCola by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 12,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $835,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. Diversified Enterprises LLC increased its position in CocaCola by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 14,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $972,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Management Associates Inc increased its position in CocaCola by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Management Associates Inc now owns 3,915 shares of the company’s stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $77.48 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $77.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $72.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.46. The firm has a market cap of $333.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.49, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.36. CocaCola Company has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $82.00.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $11.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. Research analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. CocaCola’s payout ratio is presently 69.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $88.00 target price on CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. UBS Group increased their price target on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price target on CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, CocaCola currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.00.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sharp drop in short interest — Short interest fell ~14% to ~46.2M shares as of March 31, reducing the % of shares short to ~1.1% and lowering the days‑to‑cover to ~2.8; this reduces downside squeeze risk and can be supportive for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and bullish notes — Recent analyst activity includes at least one upgrade that pushed the stock up in recent sessions and UBS saying KO is likely to rise, which can lift investor sentiment. Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and marketing push — Coca‑Cola launched the yearlong America250 campaign (state‑themed packaging, events, community programs) that aims to reinforce brand relevance and drive consumer engagement in the U.S. over 2026. America250 Campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑term market moves and coverage pieces — Several market writeups note recent intraday gains and KO’s relative performance vs. peers; useful for context but not necessarily directional catalysts. Market Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst chatter on timing — Retail pieces discussing whether to buy ahead of upcoming dates create trading interest but are not company fundamentals. Investor Advice
• Negative Sentiment: BofA sees regional divergence; UCV below consensus — Bank of America expects Q1 underlying consumption volumes roughly flat to slightly down (-0.2% year‑over‑year), with strength in NA/EMEA offset by Asia weakness; this forecast is below Visible Alpha consensus and could pressure near‑term expectations. BofA Demand Note
• Negative Sentiment: Small earnings revision downward — Erste Group trimmed FY‑2026 EPS modestly (from $3.23 to $3.22), a minor downgrade but indicative of cautious analyst sentiment; could temper investor expectations. Erste Group Estimate Cut

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total value of $7,996,723.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 410,550 shares in the company, valued at $33,016,431. The trade was a 19.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total value of $1,847,595.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,725 shares in the company, valued at $1,371,383.25. The trade was a 57.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

About CocaCola

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.