Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) Shares Up 0.6%

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) shares were up 0.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $62.59 and last traded at $61.95. Approximately 6,746,617 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 13,874,439 shares. The stock had previously closed at $61.55.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on KO shares. Barclays raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 12th. Citigroup raised their target price on Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Coca-Cola presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $67.22.

Coca-Cola Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $266.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $60.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $10.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.45 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th were paid a $0.485 dividend. This is a positive change from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.14%. Coca-Cola’s payout ratio is currently 78.23%.

Insider Activity at Coca-Cola

In related news, EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 52,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $3,138,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 143,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,602,980. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 18,551 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.41, for a total transaction of $1,102,114.91. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 52,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $3,138,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 143,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,602,980. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 375,407 shares of company stock valued at $22,795,742 in the last 90 days. 0.97% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coca-Cola

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tidemark LLC bought a new stake in Coca-Cola in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Coca-Cola in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Coca-Cola in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. ZRC Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Coca-Cola by 213.3% in 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Coca-Cola in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

About Coca-Cola

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.