Why The Coca-Cola Company (KO) Is One of the Best Sugar Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is one of the best sugar stocks to buy according to hedge funds. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) announced on February 19 that its Board of Directors elected a new company officer and approved the company’s 64th consecutive annual dividend increase. The company is raising the quarterly dividend by around 4% from 51 cents to 53 cents per common share, and the quarterly dividend is equivalent to an annual dividend of $2.12 per share, up from $2.04 per share in 2025.

Coca-Cola (KO) Struggles to Salvage Costa Coffee Sale

Management stated that the first quarter dividend is payable on April 1 to shareowners of record as of March 13. It also provided additional context, reporting that The Coca-Cola Company returned $8.8 billion in dividends to shareowners in 2025, which brings the total amount of dividends paid to shareowners since Jan. 1, 2010, to $101.9 billion.

In a separate development, Barclays reiterated a Buy rating on The Coca-Cola Company on February 18 with a price target of $83. Previously, the firm lifted the price target on the stock to $83 from $77 on February 12, maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares. UBS also raised the price target on The Coca-Cola Company to $87 from $82 on February 11 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. The firm told investors that while the company’s quarter had more moving pieces than usual, the fundamental trajectory is still solid.

The Coca-Cola Company manufactures and markets non-alcoholic beverages. It has a range of water, sports, coffee, and tea brands, including Costa Coffee, Georgia Coffee, Gold Peak Tea, Fuze Tea, and more.

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This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.