Schnieders Capital Management LLC Reduces Holdings in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Schnieders Capital Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) by 17.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,029 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,050 shares during the quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $1,807,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, MilWealth Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Coca-Cola Trading Down 1.0 %

KO opened at $70.80 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $304.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.61. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $64.19 and its 200-day moving average is $66.47. The Coca-Cola Company has a 52-week low of $57.93 and a 52-week high of $73.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.04. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 22.59% and a return on equity of 45.37%. Analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.51 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.88%. This is a positive change from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on KO shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. DZ Bank raised shares of Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $76.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Coca-Cola has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $73.82.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 19,058 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.56, for a total transaction of $1,344,732.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.97% 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.