O Shaughnessy Asset Management Increases Coca-Cola Holdings

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC has increased its holdings in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) by 6.4% during the fourth quarter, as disclosed in its recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This firm now owns a total of 565,597 shares of Coca-Cola stock, having acquired an additional 34,118 shares during the quarter. The value of O Shaughnessy’s investment in Coca-Cola stands at approximately $35,214,000 based on the latest SEC disclosure.

Recent Institutional Investments

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in Coca-Cola. For example, Crowley Wealth Management Inc. initiated a new stake valued at around $27,000 during the fourth quarter. Similarly, Mainstream Capital Management LLC set up a new position worth approximately $31,000, while Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased shares valued at about $37,000. Additionally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp made a new investment worth around $38,000, and MilWealth Group LLC also entered with a stake valued at approximately $40,000. Collectively, institutional investors and hedge funds hold about 70.26% of Coca-Cola’s total shares.

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

The Coca-Cola stock opened at $70.36 on the trading floor on Friday. The firm has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, with a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.03. Within the past year, Coca-Cola’s stock has reached a low of $57.93 and a high of $73.53. As of now, the stock's 50-day simple moving average is $67.77, while its 200-day simple moving average stands at $66.41. Coca-Cola holds a market capitalization of $302.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.49, a PEG ratio of 3.79, and a beta of 0.57.

Recent Earnings Announcement

The Coca-Cola Company shared its latest quarterly earnings results on February 11th. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.55, outperforming analysts' consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.04. Coca-Cola recorded a return on equity of 45.37% and a net margin of 22.59%. Analysts predict that Coca-Cola will post earnings per share of 2.96 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Increase Announcement

Recently, Coca-Cola has also declared a quarterly dividend that is set to be paid on April 1st. Shareholders on record as of March 14th will receive a dividend of $0.51 per share, which translates to an annualized dividend of $2.04—reflecting a dividend yield of 2.90%. This increase comes from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date for this payment is March 14th, and Coca-Cola maintains a dividend payout ratio of 82.59%.

Analyst Price Targets Update

Several research firms have recently adjusted their price targets for Coca-Cola shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target from $76.00 to $78.00, giving the stock an "overweight" rating. Evercore ISI increased its price target from $72.00 to $75.00, maintaining an "outperform" rating. Piper Sandler raised its target from $73.00 to $80.00 and also rated the stock as "overweight." Conversely, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered its price target from $75.00 to $70.00 while keeping an "overweight" rating. Additionally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its "outperform" rating with a target of $69.00. Currently, the consensus shows two analysts rating the stock as a hold, seventeen as buy, and one as strong buy, leading to an average consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $74.24.

Insider Trading Activity

In recent insider trading news, Nikolaos Koumettis, an insider at the company, sold 54,708 shares on February 26th at an average price of $70.96, making a total of $3,882,079.68 from this transaction. Post-sale, Koumettis holds 246,909 shares valued at approximately $17,520,662.64. This sale marked an 18.14% decrease in his ownership of the stock. Another insider, COO Henrique Braun, sold 25,277 shares on March 11th at an average price of $71.47, resulting in a transaction value of $1,806,547.19. Braun’s holdings now total 52,466 shares worth around $3,749,745.02, representing a 32.51% reduction in his position. Over the last three months, insiders have sold a total of 313,423 shares valued at $22,263,071, and insiders currently own about 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Understanding Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company is a global beverage giant that manufactures, markets, and sells a wide variety of nonalcoholic drinks. Its product portfolio includes sparkling soft drinks, flavored beverages, waters, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juices, value-added dairy, plant-based drinks, and more. The company also provides beverage concentrates and syrups, along with fountain syrups for retailers such as restaurants and convenience stores.

Coca-Cola, Investments, Earnings