Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) Trading Up 0.8%

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was up 0.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $59.61 and last traded at $59.39. Approximately 3,280,038 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 13,631,594 shares. The stock had previously closed at $58.91.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on KO shares. Barclays increased their price target on Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Citigroup increased their price target on Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Coca-Cola has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $67.09.

Coca-Cola Trading Up 1.0 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $256.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.13. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $59.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.53.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $10.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.68 billion. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 42.50% and a net margin of 23.42%. Coca-Cola’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a $0.485 dividend. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This is a boost from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 78.23%.

Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola

In related news, EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 52,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $3,138,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 143,383 shares in the company, valued at $8,602,980. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Coca-Cola news, CEO James Quincey sold 247,188 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total transaction of $15,063,636.72. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 442,546 shares in the company, valued at $26,968,753.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 52,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $3,138,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 143,383 shares in the company, valued at $8,602,980. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 375,407 shares of company stock valued at $22,795,742 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coca-Cola

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Tidemark LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. ZRC Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 213.3% during the fourth quarter. ZRC Wealth Management LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fortis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.