Criterion Capital Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Criterion Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 502 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of KO. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new stake in Coca-Cola during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. ZRC Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 213.3% in the 4th 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. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. KB Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Retirement Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KO has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays boosted 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup boosted 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $67.09.

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

NYSE KO opened at $60.17 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The business’s 50 day moving average is $59.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $58.61. The Coca-Cola Company has a 12-month low of $51.55 and a 12-month high of $64.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $259.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.26, a PEG ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.59.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 42.50% and a net margin of 23.42%. The company had revenue of $10.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.45 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.81 EPS for the current year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.485 per share. This is a boost 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 3.22%. Coca-Cola’s payout ratio is presently 78.23%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Coca-Cola news, CEO James Quincey sold 247,188 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total transaction of $15,063,636.72. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 442,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,968,753.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 52,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at approximately $8,602,980. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James Quincey sold 247,188 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total value of $15,063,636.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 442,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,968,753.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 375,407 shares of company stock worth $22,795,742. Company insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola 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.