LifeSteps Financial Inc. Increases Holdings in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

LifeSteps Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,729 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the period. Coca-Cola makes up about 0.7% of LifeSteps Financial Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. LifeSteps Financial Inc.’s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $855,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of KO. Greystone Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Coca-Cola during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,748,000. Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Coca-Cola by 37.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,042,000 after buying an additional 4,527 shares during the period. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coca-Cola in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,447,000. Physicians Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Coca-Cola by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Physicians Financial Services Inc. now owns 62,024 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,862,000 after purchasing an additional 826 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Coca-Cola by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $764,000 after acquiring an additional 632 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Coca-Cola Trading Up 1.9 %

NYSE:KO opened at $71.37 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $307.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.90, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.61. The business has a fifty day moving average of $63.71 and a 200-day moving average of $66.44. The Coca-Cola Company has a 1 year low of $57.93 and a 1 year 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.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.04. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 45.37% and a net margin of 22.59%. Equities analysts predict that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.86%. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 78.54%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Coca-Cola from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on Coca-Cola from $74.00 to $73.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays raised their price target 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. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $73.82.

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.