Traders Purchase High Volume of Coca-Cola Call Options (NYSE:KO)

Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders purchased 60,740 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 18% compared to the typical volume of 51,685 call options.

Coca-Cola Stock Up 1.8%

NYSE KO traded up $1.74 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $99.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 8,562,802 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,988,432. The firm has a market capitalization of $426.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.17, a PEG ratio of 3.81 and a beta of 0.28. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $90.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $83.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Coca-Cola has a twelve month low of $67.27 and a twelve month high of $99.30.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $13.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.92 billion. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 28.65% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.82 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Coca-Cola will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.35%.

Coca-Cola News Summary

Here’s some of the latest news about KO:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimates for Coca-Cola, a favorable analyst signal. FY2026 EPS Estimates for Coca-Cola Lifted by Zacks Research
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage cited strong revenue growth, rising volumes, product innovation and an upbeat 2026 outlook as factors supporting KO’s prospects. Coca-Cola Stock Hits 52-Week High: Should You Buy Now or Wait?
• Negative Sentiment: KO’s recent 52-week high and premium valuation may leave less room for gains if growth disappoints; recent coverage flags valuation as a reason for caution.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on KO shares. Argus upped their target price on Coca-Cola from $91.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Coca-Cola from $102.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Coca-Cola in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $86.00 price target (up from $82.00) on shares of Coca-Cola in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $93.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.26.

Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola

In other news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total value of $10,126,419.45. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 41,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,761,319.45. This represents a 72.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.91, for a total transaction of $6,410,980.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 160,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,226,221.48. This trade represents a 29.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 249,498 shares of company stock worth $23,025,238. Company insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Coca-Cola

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 9.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 44,018,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,347,642,000 after purchasing an additional 3,836,640 shares in the last quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1,763.2% during the first quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 3,383,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $257,302,000 after buying an additional 3,201,742 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 3rd quarter valued at $260,682,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Coca-Cola by 9.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 29,053,752 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,361,198,000 after buying an additional 2,439,026 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alecta Tjanstepension Omsesidigt purchased a new stake in Coca-Cola in the 2nd quarter valued at $197,470,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1886, it is best known for Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized soft drink brands. The company owns, licenses, and markets a broad portfolio of beverages, including sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and energy drinks. Its brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, fairlife, and Costa Coffee, among others.