Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey Sells Over $19M Worth Of Stock, Shares Fall

Coca-Cola Co. (KO) Chairman and CEO James Quincey has sold shares worth $19.2 million as part of a previously accepted trading plan.

The company's shares fell nearly 1.2% on Tuesday but rose in after-hours trading.

Quincey sold 266,403 shares for $72.00 to $72.24 per share. The trade was executed on May 30, according to a company disclosure.

While insider share sales are generally considered negative news and signal a potential stock downside, top executives occasionally sell shares for purely compensatory reasons.

The move is just the latest in Quincey's series of divestments. In multiple transactions, he sold approximately $17 million worth of shares this year before the latest trade and over $24 million last year.

Finance chief John Murphy also sold stock worth $6.4 million last month.

On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment for the stock is 'bearish,' unchanged from a month ago.

A user stated that there were strong indications that the stock would decline.

Coca-Cola stock has largely weathered a market downturn kicked off by President Donald Trump's trade policy announcements.

Shares are up approximately 8% from their recent low in April and have gained 14.3% year-to-date.

However, like other fast-moving consumer goods companies, Coca-Cola faces pressure from tariffs. 

In April, the company warned of rising costs and softening demand, though it maintained its full-year outlook.

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