Howard Capital Management Group LLC Reduces Position in CocaCola Company (The) $KO

Howard Capital Management Group LLC lowered its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 404,313 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,557 shares during the quarter. CocaCola makes up approximately 1.8% of Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $28,266,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 13.3% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of CocaCola by 3.4% during 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 during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola during the first quarter worth about $210,000. River Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 4.7% during the second quarter. River Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $620,000 after buying an additional 397 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CocaCola in the 2nd quarter valued at about $209,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup upped their price objective on CocaCola from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Truist Financial set a $85.00 target price on CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group upped their price target on CocaCola from $82.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $87.00 price target on CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and fifteen have given a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other CocaCola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 23,556 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total transaction of $1,872,702.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,754,735. The trade was a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 directly owned 278,155 shares in the company, valued at $22,013,186.70. This trade represents a 47.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 892,925 shares of company stock worth $70,254,796. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca‑Cola plans to invest $1 billion in South Africa through 2030, expanding distribution and capacity in a high‑growth market; that long‑term capex commitment supports revenue upside in emerging markets. Coca‑Cola To Invest $1 Billion In South Africa Through 2030
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank (reported by AmericanBankingNews) is forecasting strong price appreciation for KO, and analyst optimism can help lift sentiment and flows into the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for CocaCola
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Coca‑Cola’s history of earnings surprises and argues KO has the setup to beat again, supporting upside to estimates and helping sentiment ahead of the next report. Will Coca‑Cola (KO) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: KO continues to be highlighted as a reliable dividend stock (Dividend King/Aristocrat narratives), which attracts income-focused and defensive investors amid macro uncertainty. The 5 Safest Dividend Aristocrats Are Perfect For Retirees Needing Growth & Income
• Neutral Sentiment: Coke Florida rolled out limited‑edition America250 cans — a branding/marketing push that supports awareness but is unlikely to move near‑term fundamentals materially. Coca‑Cola Beverages Florida Unveils America250 Commemorative Cans
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent writeups on valuation note mixed short‑term share performance and higher near‑term multiples, which keeps some investors focused on price vs. fundamentals rather than driving a clear buy/sell signal. A Look At Coca‑Cola (KO) Valuation After Mixed Recent Share Performance
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks analyst blog flagged mixed demand and growth challenges alongside other large caps, highlighting potential near‑term headwinds that could cap upside if execution slips. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Exxon, The Coca‑Cola and Uber

CocaCola Stock Performance

Shares of KO opened at $76.68 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. CocaCola Company has a 52-week low of $65.35 and a 52-week high of $82.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $72.11. The company has a market capitalization of $330.03 billion, a PE ratio of 25.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.36.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $11.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.55 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.210-3.240 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This is a positive change from CocaCola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is presently 69.74%.

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.