Xponance Inc. Boosts Holdings in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Xponance Inc. increased its position in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 761,525 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 23,002 shares during the quarter. Coca-Cola accounts for approximately 0.4% of Xponance Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $47,413,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KO. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Coca-Cola by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 252,396 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,714,000 after purchasing an additional 10,296 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the fourth quarter valued at about $15,887,000. Evoke Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Coca-Cola by 43.7% in the fourth quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC now owns 22,037 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,372,000 after purchasing an additional 6,699 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its position in Coca-Cola by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 94,008 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,853,000 after buying an additional 1,347 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Coca-Cola by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 452,582 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,178,000 after purchasing an additional 13,084 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Coca-Cola Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of KO stock opened at $70.15 on Tuesday. The Coca-Cola Company has a 52-week low of $57.93 and a 52-week high of $73.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.03. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $66.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.53. The company has a market capitalization of $301.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.40, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.57.

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

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This is a boost from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.59%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. TD Cowen upgraded Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $69.00 to $75.00 in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $69.00 price target on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $68.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.24.

Insider Buying and Selling at Coca-Cola

In related news, insider Nikolaos Koumettis sold 54,708 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.96, for a total value of $3,882,079.68. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 246,909 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,520,662.64. This trade represents a 18.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 145,435 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.01, for a total transaction of $10,327,339.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 342,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,324,191.46. The trade was a 29.80 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 313,423 shares of company stock worth $22,263,071. 0.97% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.