CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Shares Down 1.7% After Insider Selling

Shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) fell 1.7% during mid-day trading on Monday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $80.15 and last traded at $80.21. 16,014,492 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 17% from the average session volume of 19,406,693 shares. The stock had previously closed at $81.56.

Specifically, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.16, for a total value of $1,603,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 57,532 shares in the company, valued at $4,611,765.12. The trade was a 25.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO John Murphy sold 99,437 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.42, for a total value of $7,996,723.54. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 410,550 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,016,431. This represents a 19.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In related news, EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.60, for a total transaction of $1,209,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 173,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,002,476.80. This trade represents a 7.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on KO. Barclays upped their target price on shares of CocaCola from $77.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $87.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CocaCola currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.33.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major brokerages maintain a favorable view—KO was given a consensus “Buy” rating by brokerages, which supports investor confidence and may limit downside pressure. Brokerage Consensus
• Positive Sentiment: KO continues to appear in dividend-focused lists (e.g., retirement/dividend growth roundups), reinforcing its reputation as a dependable income stock for yield-oriented investors and likely supporting long-term demand. Fool: Dividend Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and sector screens highlight consumer staples (including KO) as potential earnings-beaters, offering a watchlist signal but not a direct catalyst. These articles may attract attention from dividend and defensive‑fund flows rather than trigger immediate price moves. Zacks: Consumer Staples
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles revisiting Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio moves mention KO in the context of Buffett-era shifts; this is informational and can influence sentiment among value investors but is not a company-specific catalyst. MarketBeat: Berkshire Review
• Neutral Sentiment: Coca‑Cola FEMSA (KOF) proposed a 2026 ordinary dividend payable quarterly—positive for the Coca‑Cola system’s franchise/partner stability, but the direct impact on KO PLC’s stock is limited. TipRanks: KOF Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on KO’s long dividend streak and a new investor‑relations chief frames a valuation debate—this keeps the stock in focus for income investors but may prolong volatility as market participants reassess fair value. Yahoo Finance: Dividend Streak & IR
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO John Murphy sold 72,449 shares (~$5.8M at ~\$80.52), reducing his holding by ~20.6%. Large insider sales can weigh on sentiment and are likely a key driver behind intraday weakness. SEC Form 4

CocaCola Trading Down 1.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $341.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.09, a PEG ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.35. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average of $74.41 and a 200 day moving average of $70.96.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.11%.

Institutional Trading of CocaCola

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KO. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in CocaCola by 13.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 39,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 4,591 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,000 after buying an additional 293 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola in the first quarter worth $210,000. United Bank boosted its position in shares of CocaCola by 9.5% during the second quarter. United Bank now owns 91,201 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,452,000 after acquiring an additional 7,903 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in CocaCola by 14.6% during the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,877 shares of the company’s stock valued at $418,000 after acquiring an additional 747 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.