CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Downgraded to Hold Rating by HSBC

HSBC downgraded shares of CocaCola (NYSE:KO) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on KO. Truist Financial set a $88.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on CocaCola from $91.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Bank of America upped their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on CocaCola from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $90.06.

CocaCola Stock Up 5.2%

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $88.44 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $380.51 billion, a PE ratio of 27.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $78.39. 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 has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $90.22.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 40.55%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.87 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CocaCola will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. CocaCola’s payout ratio is 66.67%.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In related news, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total transaction of $34,960,398.48. Following the sale, the chairman owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at $9,842,608.29. This represents a 78.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through 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 the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.41, for a total transaction of $2,000,505.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 157,400 shares in the company, valued at $13,128,734. This represents a 13.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 899,905 shares of company stock valued at $71,832,315 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CocaCola

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KO. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new stake in CocaCola in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Coca-Cola reported adjusted earnings of $0.97 per share, above the $0.93 analyst consensus, while revenue reached approximately $13.37 billion versus estimates of $13.17 billion. Revenue increased about 6% year over year, and earnings rose from $0.87 per share in the prior-year quarter. Coca-Cola Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Demand and volumes were strong: Global unit-case volume rose 5%, reportedly Coca-Cola’s best quarterly volume growth in 17 years. Growth was helped by demand for zero-sugar beverages and fairlife, higher concentrate sales, pricing and favorable product mix. The company said it gained value share despite a challenging consumer environment. Coca-Cola hails World Cup hydration breaks as it lifts annual forecasts
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance was raised: Management now expects approximately 5% 2026 organic revenue growth, up from prior guidance of 4% to 5%, and comparable EPS growth of 9% to 10%, versus the previous 8% to 9% range. The company maintained full-year EPS guidance of roughly $3.27 to $3.30. Coca-Cola Lifts 2026 Earnings Outlook as Second-Quarter Results Top Views
• Positive Sentiment: World Cup exposure boosted optimism: Coca-Cola’s sponsorship and hydration-related marketing during the FIFA World Cup helped drive product visibility, consumption occasions and volume growth, reinforcing expectations for continued brand strength. FIFA World Cup Delivers Coca-Cola’s Best Quarterly Volume Growth in 17 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and expectations are elevated: KO is trading near its one-year high, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 28. The strong results may support the premium, but the valuation leaves less room for execution misses or weaker consumer spending ahead.

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.