New York, March 3, 2026, 14:00 EST — Regular session
- Coca-Cola’s CFO John Murphy unloaded 72,449 shares on March 2, according to a Form 4 filed Tuesday.
- Murphy will speak at Citi’s Global Consumer & Retail Conference on March 9, according to the .
- Coca-Cola has set its upcoming quarterly dividend at $0.53 per share, marking March 13 for both the ex-dividend and record date. Payment is scheduled for April 1.
Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: KO) slipped in early afternoon trade Tuesday, dropping $1.09, or roughly 1.4%, to $79.13. Investors stayed cautious as oil prices surged.
Stocks slipped across the board in the U.S., dragging the S&P 500 to its lowest level in over two months. Traders are parsing the risks that a deepening Middle East conflict could stoke inflation and snarl trade flows. “Investors worry about additional inflation coming down the road,” said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth. Reuters
Oil took center stage, with Brent crude futures jumping close to 6% to $82.44 a barrel. U.S. WTI rose as high as $75.66. Standard Chartered analysts noted Iran’s response this time looks wider in scope, warning of a “real risk to supply.” Reuters
Shares of other beverage companies were under pressure as well. PepsiCo dropped around 1.2%, Monster Beverage slid 2.8%, and Keurig Dr Pepper edged down 0.5%. The consumer-staples ETF XLP declined 0.9%.
Company filings brought in a dose of individual headlines. Form 4s uploaded Tuesday revealed CEO James Quincey and COO Henrique Braun both had shares pulled back to cover taxes from vesting performance-share units, part of the 2023–2025 plan.
Executive vice president Beatriz Perez filed a Form 4 showing she exercised stock options, sold shares that day, and had shares withheld for taxes. (Form 4s are the SEC’s go-to disclosure for insiders trading or getting awards, required soon after such moves.)
Last month, Coca-Cola signed off on its 64th consecutive annual dividend hike, bumping the quarterly payout up to 53 cents per share. Shareholders recorded by March 13 will get the first-quarter dividend on April 1. The company also named Todd Beiger as its next head of investor relations, with his appointment effective March 31.
March 9 looms as the next key date for investors, with Murphy set to appear at Citi’s Global Consumer & Retail Conference. In periods like this, when markets are recalculating the fallout from rising energy costs, those events can take on extra weight.
Coke’s “defensive” reputation only stretches so far if inflation heats up and consumers start scrutinizing their spending again. The company has relied on price hikes to absorb rising input costs, but it’s already acknowledged that this approach can dent demand. Coke is targeting organic revenue growth between 4% and 5% in 2026, with adjusted earnings per share slated to rise 7% to 8%. Braun has also flagged the need for quicker innovation. Reuters
Most of what’s ahead comes down to macro moves—fresh Middle East headlines, oil’s reactions. For Coca-Cola, the timing’s a bit more compressed than it appears: both ex-dividend and record dates land on March 13, so if you want the next payout, keep an eye on that.
