CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $84.60.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on CocaCola from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Thursday, January 22nd.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Energy‑drink positioning seen as growth catalyst — media picks KO (alongside KDP) as a defensive energy‑drink play that could stabilize returns in 2026 thanks to product innovation and portfolio momentum. Buy 2 Energy Drink Stocks to Stabilize Your Portfolio Returns in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Long‑term income case highlighted — investment commentary emphasizes KO’s wide moat, steady earnings growth and reliable dividend, supporting buy‑and‑hold appeal for income investors. Could Buying Coca‑Cola Today Set You Up for Life?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend narrative remains a tailwind — personal‑finance pieces continue to model KO as a straightforward way to generate passive income, keeping investor demand among yield‑seeking holders. How much to invest in Coca‑Cola for $1,000 annual dividends in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed capital allocation and ESG focus — Coca‑Cola committed up to $650M to expand Fairlife production (growth/capex) while facing a wave of shareholder proposals on sustainability, plastics, DEI and ingredient risk ahead of the annual meeting. This is a mixed catalyst: growth investment but increased governance/sustainability scrutiny. Should Coca‑Cola’s Fairlife Expansion And ESG Scrutiny Require Action From Coca‑Cola (KO) Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment generally constructive — analyst commentary referenced by outlets shows bullish leanings, which can support sentiment but may already be priced in. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About Coca‑Cola (KO): Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO succession risk — CEO James Quincey says AI acceleration was a factor in his decision to step down, signaling a need for new leadership with AI expertise; leadership transitions can increase near‑term uncertainty about strategy and execution. Major outgoing CEOs are citing AI as a factor in their decisions to step down

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $75.70 on Friday. 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 fifty day moving average of $76.84 and a 200 day moving average of $71.87. The firm has a market cap of $325.81 billion, a PE ratio of 24.90, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.35. CocaCola has a one year low of $65.35 and a one year high of $82.00.

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

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.74%.

Insider Transactions at CocaCola

In related news, EVP Monica Howard Douglas sold 23,880 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.37, for a total transaction of $1,847,595.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,371,383.25. This trade represents a 57.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 250,688 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.14, for a total value of $19,839,448.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 278,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,013,186.70. The trade was a 47.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 892,925 shares of company stock valued at $70,254,796. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CocaCola

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in CocaCola in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,865,807,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 867.2% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 14,432,190 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,008,954,000 after buying an additional 12,939,959 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 1,206.9% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 10,641,007 shares of the company’s stock valued at $743,913,000 after buying an additional 9,826,768 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of CocaCola by 29.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,182,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,809,146,000 after buying an additional 9,078,447 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in CocaCola by 98.7% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 12,573,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $879,015,000 after acquiring an additional 6,246,627 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.