Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) Stock Price Up 1.3% – Should You Buy?

Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) rose 1.3% on Wednesday. The stock traded as high as $96.56 and last traded at $96.0770. Approximately 26,947,025 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 59% from the average session volume of 16,946,484 shares. The stock had previously closed at $94.80.

Key Headlines Impacting Coca-Cola

Here are the key news stories impacting Coca-Cola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola reported third-quarter sales of $13.38 billion and net income of $4.01 billion, and raised its 2026 earnings guidance. Higher free-cash-flow guidance and a 64th consecutive annual dividend increase reinforce the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors. Does Raised 2026 Guidance Change The Bull Case For Coca Cola Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary also highlights Coca-Cola’s pricing power amid persistent inflation, which may help protect margins, and Berkshire Hathaway’s substantial dividend income from its long-held stake. Coca-Cola Is Exercising its Pricing Power as Inflation Persists
• Neutral Sentiment: The company is reportedly considering an IPO for its India bottling assets through Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings. A listing could offer a way to surface value, but discussions are preliminary and no structure or timing has been decided. Coca-Cola Weighs India Bottling IPO
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Beatriz Perez sold shares to cover tax withholding tied to vested equity awards. The transaction reduced her direct holdings, but its stated tax-related purpose makes it a less clear-cut bearish signal. SEC Form 4 filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on KO shares. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on Coca-Cola from $83.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. DZ Bank restated a “buy” rating on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America upped their price target on Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $92.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Coca-Cola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.26.

Coca-Cola Stock Up 1.3%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The company has a market cap of $413.31 billion, a PE ratio of 28.26, a PEG ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 0.28. The company’s fifty day moving average is $89.63 and its 200-day moving average is $82.31.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $13.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.92 billion. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 28.65% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.82 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.34 EPS for the current year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Coca-Cola’s payout ratio is 62.35%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Coca-Cola news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 111,365 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.93, for a total transaction of $10,126,419.45. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,365 shares in the company, valued at $3,761,319.45. This trade 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 Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,186,798.70. The trade was a 18.29% 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 ninety days, insiders have sold 238,871 shares of company stock worth $21,918,267. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Coca-Cola

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Guardian Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Coca-Cola in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Atomic Invest LLC boosted its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 38.7% during the 2nd quarter. Atomic Invest LLC now owns 437 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Timbuktu Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Coca-Cola during the third quarter worth $43,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Coca-Cola

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.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.