CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Trading Up 1.7% – Still a Buy?

CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) shares shot up 1.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $70.66 and last traded at $70.5360. 19,605,210 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average session volume of 18,899,850 shares. The stock had previously closed at $69.37.

More CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shares snapped a six‑session losing streak as buying returned, suggesting technical relief and short‑term momentum helped drive the uptick. Coca‑Cola shares snapped six‑session losing streak
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo added KO to its Q1 2026 Tactical Ideas list, a visible buy/sell‑idea endorsement that can attract tactical and institutional flows into the stock. Wells Fargo Adds Coca‑Cola (KO) to Q1 2026 Tactical Ideas List
• Neutral Sentiment: Features in thematic investor pieces (pricing‑power lists and dividend‑aristocrat roundups) reinforce KO’s defensive / income case but don’t present new catalysts — they support steady, long‑term demand from income investors. 5 Under‑the‑Radar Consumer Staples Stocks With Pricing Power (KO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets note heightened investor attention and compare Coca‑Cola vs. Pepsi for defensive allocations — useful context for investors but not an immediate earnings/cash‑flow development. Coca‑Cola Company (The) (KO) is Attracting Investor Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple investment roundups and dividend‑stock lists (24/7 Wall St., 247WallSt.) highlight KO’s long dividend track record; that bolsters its defensive appeal to income portfolios but isn’t a fresh earnings or guidance surprise. The Dividend Aristocrats No One’s Talking About (And Their 30+ Year Track Records)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage referencing Warren Buffett’s portfolio transition draws attention to legacy holdings and defensive names; mentions can shape sentiment but don’t change KO’s fundamentals immediately. 74% of the $317 Billion Portfolio Warren Buffett Left for Berkshire Hathaway’s New CEO, Greg Abel, Is Invested in These 8 Unstoppable Stocks in 2026

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on KO. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on CocaCola from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Friday, December 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have issued a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $79.08.

CocaCola Stock Up 1.7%

The stock has a market cap of $303.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.36, a P/E/G ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $70.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.32.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 27th. The company reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.34% and a return on equity of 43.62%. The company had revenue of $11.40 billion during the quarter. CocaCola has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.966-2.966 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Henrique Braun sold 40,390 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.93, for a total transaction of $2,864,862.70. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 62,621 shares in the company, valued at $4,441,707.53. This represents a 39.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.17, for a total value of $2,250,751.25. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,894,396.10. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 225,252 shares of company stock worth $15,953,007 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in CocaCola by 13.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 39,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,433,000 after buying an additional 4,591 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in CocaCola by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,000 after acquiring an additional 293 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in CocaCola in the first quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 33.2% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 539,563 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,016,000 after acquiring an additional 134,627 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Modern Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 13.7% during the first quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 39,120 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,802,000 after purchasing an additional 4,717 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% 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.