BankPlus Trust Department Invests $2.48 Million in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

BankPlus Trust Department acquired a new stake in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 39,758 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,475,000. Coca-Cola comprises approximately 0.8% of BankPlus Trust Department’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest holding.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Coca-Cola in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Coca-Cola in the third quarter worth $36,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. MilWealth Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola during the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Finally, MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola during the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola Stock Performance

Shares of KO stock opened at $71.37 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $307.46 billion, a PE ratio of 28.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.61. The Coca-Cola Company has a 52-week low of $57.93 and a 52-week high of $73.53. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $63.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $66.41. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.04. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 45.37% and a net margin of 22.59%. On average, equities analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The company 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 represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Coca-Cola’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 78.54%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $66.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $68.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen upgraded shares of Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Coca-Cola currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $73.82.

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.