Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) Stock Price Up 0.1% – Still a Buy?

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) shares shot up 0.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $62.65 and last traded at $62.27. 4,136,225 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 70% from the average session volume of 13,631,978 shares. The stock had previously closed at $62.21.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on KO shares. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Coca-Cola to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $78.00 to $76.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Cfra reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $74.00 to $73.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Coca-Cola currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.14.

Coca-Cola Stock Up 1.0 %

The company has a market capitalization of $270.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.73, a P/E/G ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $66.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.58.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $11.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.61 billion. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 44.01% and a net margin of 22.45%. The firm’s revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.74 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.485 per share. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 80.17%.

Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola

In other Coca-Cola news, CEO James Quincey sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.03, for a total value of $6,403,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 342,546 shares in the company, valued at $21,933,220.38. This trade represents a 22.60 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coca-Cola

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KO. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 57.6% during the 3rd quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,409 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,000 after acquiring an additional 880 shares during the period. American Trust lifted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 11.2% in the third quarter. American Trust now owns 17,573 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,263,000 after buying an additional 1,771 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 6.1% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,984,953 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,990,407,000 after purchasing an additional 1,609,565 shares in the last quarter. Decatur Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the 3rd quarter worth about $3,395,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 222.9% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 192,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,814,000 after purchasing an additional 132,701 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.