Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 890.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 154,907 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 139,269 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $12,589,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in CocaCola by 438.8% in the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new position in CocaCola during the first quarter valued at $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in CocaCola in the second quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Guardian Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the second quarter valued at $27,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In related news, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total transaction of $34,960,398.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a 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 Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,594,900 shares of company stock valued at $136,568,617. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $89.16 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $85.12 and a 200 day moving average of $80.76. The stock has a market cap of $383.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.77, a P/E/G ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.33. CocaCola Company has a 12 month low of $65.35 and a 12 month high of $92.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The business had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.87 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The company 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 63.66%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Truist Financial set a $88.00 price objective on CocaCola in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.76.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst-model upgrade supports the shares. Zacks upgraded Coca-Cola to Rank #2 (Buy), citing improving earnings prospects. The company’s latest quarter also showed momentum, with revenue up 6.2% year over year and EPS of $0.97 exceeding consensus by $0.04. Coca-Cola Upgraded to Buy: Here’s What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive positioning is attracting demand. Market commentary indicates investors are favoring staples such as KO amid a more defensive trading environment. Coca-Cola’s relatively stable demand, strong margins and dividend profile can benefit from this rotation. Why is Coca-Cola drawing steady demand as staples turn defensive today?
• Positive Sentiment: Brand marketing could support seasonal sales. Coca-Cola launched a Fanta Halloween campaign designed to expand the brand’s presence during another major holiday period. The initiative is strategically positive, although its direct financial impact is not yet quantified. Coca-Cola launches Fanta Halloween campaign
• Neutral Sentiment: Post-earnings momentum is being reassessed. KO has gained since its latest earnings report, but analysts are watching estimate revisions and forward guidance to determine whether that performance can continue. Management’s full-year 2026 EPS guidance is $3.27–$3.30. Coca-Cola Up 1.1% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?
• Negative Sentiment: Higher bond yields pressure dividend-stock valuations. The 30-year Treasury yield has moved above 5.2%, making government bonds more competitive with Coca-Cola’s dividend and potentially weighing on income-oriented demand. The 30-Year U.S. Treasury Bond Now Has a Higher Yield Than Ford and Coca-Cola

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.