Coca-Cola Ranks 66th in Daily Trading Volume as Institutions Triple Holdings Amid Insider Selloff and 31.5% Strategy Return

On August 25, 2025, The Coca-Cola Company (KO) traded with a volume of 0.94 billion shares, ranking 66th in daily trading activity. The stock closed lower, reflecting broader market dynamics.

Insider transactions highlighted significant shifts in ownership. CEO James Quincey sold 266,403 shares, reducing his stake by 49.12%, while Nikolaos Koumettis offloaded 37,396 shares, trimming his position by 15.15%. Institutional investors, including Smartleaf Asset Management LLC and Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd., increased holdings in the first quarter, with some firms boosting stakes by over 360%. Institutional ownership now accounts for 70.26% of the equity.

The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.51 per share, set to be paid on October 1, with an ex-dividend date of September 15. This yields an annualized 2.9% return, supported by a payout ratio of 72.34%. Analysts remain optimistic, with price targets ranging from $76 to $83, and a consensus rating of "Buy." Recent earnings reports showed improved margins and 2.5% year-over-year revenue growth, reinforcing confidence in its operational resilience.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day from 2022 to 2025 yielded a total return of 31.52% over 365 days, with an average daily gain of 0.98%. The highest one-day return reached 7.02% in June 2023, while the lowest was -4.20% in September 2022, reflecting exposure to market volatility. The Sharpe ratio of 0.79 indicates moderate risk-adjusted performance, aligning with the stock's defensive positioning in the Consumer Staples sector.