Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Coca-Cola just handed retirees their 64th consecutive dividend raise, but the share price surge this year quietly undercut part of that win. Whether this checks out as a buy, hold, or trim depends entirely on which side of the trade…

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

If you own Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO | KO Price Prediction) for the income, the date that matters this week is September 15, 2026. That is the next ex-dividend cutoff, and it is the last chance to be on the books for the current payout at the newly raised rate. For a 67-year-old drawing supplemental income from a dividend stock, this is the kind of housekeeping date that quietly determines whether a check lands in October or not.

Coca-Cola declared the higher rate back on February 19, 2026, lifting the quarterly dividend from $0.51 to $0.53 per share. That works out to a forward annual payout of $2.12. It also extended one of the longest income streaks on the U.S. market: 63 consecutive years of dividend increases as of 2025, now 64 with this year’s raise.

Why the Raise Feels Smaller Than It Looks Here is the part that trips up retirees comparing statements from January to September. The payout went up, but the yield on new money went down, because the share price ran hard. Coca-Cola started the year at $69 and now trades near $88, a year-to-date gain of about 28%. Over one year the stock is up nearly 33%.

The current dividend yield sits around 2.3%. A buyer in January was locking in a materially higher yield on cost than a buyer today, even though the dollar payout is the same $2.12 either way. Two things are true at the same time. The company gave you a raise. The market took back part of the income appeal by bidding the shares up.

What Really Backs the Check A 2.3% yield is only useful if you trust it will keep growing. On that score, the coverage picture is comfortable. Coca-Cola paid $8.8 billion in dividends during 2025 against net income of $13.1 billion. Management guided to full-year 2026 free cash flow of roughly $12.4 billion, and the CFO flagged that “Our balance sheet remains strong with our net debt leverage of 1.4 times EBITDA, which is below our target range of 2 to 2.5 times.” Volume grew 5% in Q2, and comparable EPS is guided to 9% to 10% growth for the year.

Translation for a retiree: the dividend is well protected. Coverage is deep, cash generation is expanding, and the balance sheet has room. The BODYARMOR trademark impairment and the ongoing IRS tax case are real, but neither threatens the payout.

New Money Versus Old Money This is where the article earns its keep. The right move depends on which side of the trade you are on.

If you already own the shares: keep collecting. Your yield on cost is whatever it is, the payout just rose, and the tax treatment on qualified dividends stays favorable. For a retiree in the 12% or 22% federal bracket, qualified dividends generally get taxed at 0% or 15%, which is why holding a Dividend King in a taxable account has always been friendlier than pulling the same dollars from a traditional IRA.

If you are deploying new retirement cash today: understand you are buying a 26x earnings consumer staple at a 2.3% yield, with an analyst target of $95 that leaves modest room from here. Broad dividend ETFs currently offer higher starting yields with none of the single-stock concentration risk. At 67, with a portfolio you are meant to live on, one beverage company should not be the whole income engine no matter how long the streak.

Two Things to Do This Month Confirm your position size. If Coca-Cola is more than roughly 5% of your income-generating assets, the streak is doing you a disservice by encouraging concentration. Positions above that threshold leave a retirement income plan hostage to one beverage company’s execution. Mind the ex-dividend date. To collect the October payment at the raised $0.53 rate, you need to own the shares before September 15, 2026. Selling on or after that date still gets you the check. The common mistake here is treating a 64-year raise streak as a reason to add more at any price. The streak is a quality signal about durability, and it says nothing about the price you pay today. A position sized to enjoy the raises works; a position large enough to dominate a retirement income plan concentrates too much of the outcome in one beverage company.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Coca-Cola just extended a dividend streak that spans six decades, but a surging stock price and a tight payout ratio raise real questions about whether this legendary income name still delivers for buyers entering today.

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO | KO Price Prediction) just sent another check to shareholders. The board declared a $0.53 per share quarterly dividend with an ex-date of September 15, 2026 and a payment date of October 1, 2026. That extends one of the longest dividend-growth records on the market. It also raises a fair question: does a legendary streak translate into a great dividend today? Here is how the payout scores on five measures.

1. Growth Streak: A+ Coca-Cola paid $8.8 billion in dividends during 2025 and, on the company’s own math, extended its consecutive annual increase streak past six decades. The quarterly rate has climbed from $0.41 in 2020 to $0.53 in 2026. Few Dividend Kings can match that consistency.

2. Current Yield: C+ The trailing yield sits at roughly 2.32%, based on a $2.08 trailing payout and a share price of $88.85. That is above the S&P 500 average, but it is a byproduct of price appreciation working against income buyers. KO is up 27.57% year to date and 31.19% over the last year. New money buys less yield than it did in December.

3. Recent Growth Rate: B The 2025 to 2026 hike, from $0.51 to $0.53, is a step down from the double-digit raises Coca-Cola delivered decades ago. It is roughly in line with the pace since 2020 and consistent with management’s comparable EPS growth guidance of 9 to 10% for 2026. Reliable, not thrilling.

4. Payout Ratio: B- 2025 EPS came in at $3, against a forward annualized dividend of $2.12 per share. That is a payout ratio in the high 60s. Management can support it, but the cushion is thinner than income investors sometimes assume, and it leaves less room for buybacks even with a $5.2 billion repurchase authorization outstanding.

5. Cash Flow Coverage: B 2025 operating cash flow was $7.408 billion against capital expenditures of $2.112 billion and dividends of $8.779 billion. Free cash flow did not fully cover the payout last year. The 2026 outlook improves the math sharply: management guides to free cash flow of roughly $12.4 billion, and CFO John Murphy noted net debt leverage of 1.4 times EBITDA, below the 2 to 2.5 times target range. First-half free cash flow was approximately $6.9 billion, tracking that guide.

Final Grade: B+ The streak is untouchable, the balance sheet supports it, and the 2026 cash flow ramp resolves last year’s coverage gap. What KO does not offer is a high starting yield or fast growth. Investors weighing whether a 60-year raiser still earns a spot in the income sleeve can compare it against the rest of the club in our free Dividend Kings report, which ranks ten of them by valuation right now. Watch the pending 11th Circuit IRS decision and the CCBA divestiture closing, either of which could shift capital allocation ahead of the next dividend declaration.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Chris Lange

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics. Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications. A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

All articles →

Coca-Cola (KO +0.67%) has done everything an income investor could ask of it this year. In February, the company raised its quarterly dividend about 4% to $0.53 per share ($2.12 a year), marking its 64th consecutive annual increase. Its business has delivered, too, with results strong enough that management raised its full-year outlook in late July.

The stock has responded. Shares have climbed about 28% in 2026, reaching about $90 as of this writing -- within a few dollars of their 52-week high.

And that is exactly the problem for anyone buying today for the income. A dividend yield is a ratio, and this year the price ran far ahead of the payout.

At the start of January, Coca-Cola stock yielded about 2.9%. Today, even with the higher payout, it yields about 2.4%.

Image source: Getty Images.

The raise didn't keep up with the runThe math is simple enough. Coca-Cola entered the year trading near $70 with an annual dividend rate of $2.04, which worked out to a yield of about 2.9%. Since then, the dividend has grown 4%, and the stock price has grown about 28%.

Divide the new payout by the new price, and the yield lands at about 2.4%.

Within the past year, the compression looks even sharper. The stock's 52-week low is $65.35, and a buyer at that price collects more than 3.2% on today's payout.

A buyer at $90, by contrast, collects about a quarter less income on every dollar invested.

For a stock investors mostly own for its steadily growing income stream, that is a meaningful change in what a new dollar buys. The payout keeps rising on schedule. The price of a dollar of that payout has simply risen much faster.

The business earned the rallyTo be fair, the stock hasn't climbed on nothing. In the second quarter of 2026, Coca-Cola's net revenue rose 7% year over year to $13.4 billion, and organic revenue grew 6% on a 4% increase in concentrate sales and 2% growth from pricing and mix (a higher share of sales coming from better-priced products).

Furthermore, global unit case volume grew 5%. Comparable operating margin reached 35.6%, an expansion from 34.7% a year earlier. Management also lifted its outlook, and now expects organic revenue growth of about 5% for the full year, up from its earlier forecast of 4% to 5%. The company expects to produce about $12.4 billion of free cash flow this year, too.

Those are excellent numbers for a company of Coca-Cola's size and maturity, and they explain the market's enthusiasm. The dividend itself also remains well supported. The $2.12 annual payout consumes about 64% of the company's trailing earnings per share -- coverage comfortable enough that the streak of increases looks in no danger.

The trouble is what the price now assumes. The stock carries a forward price-to-earnings ratio of about 26, for a company guiding to about 5% organic revenue growth.

That is arguably a premium valuation for consistency, and the lower yield is where that premium shows up.

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

76/100

Today's Change

(

0.67

%) $

0.60

Current Price

$

89.66

What closes the gap?There are only two ways the yield returns to where it started the year: The price comes down, or the dividend catches up.

The dividend route is slow. At the current pace of about 4% annual raises, the payout would need roughly five years of increases (reaching about $2.58) to put the yield back near 2.9% with the stock at $90. That is five years of dividend growth spent just recovering the income the price move took away.

Getting there on price instead is faster but less pleasant. Restoring a 2.9% yield on the current $2.12 payout requires a price near $73 -- about 19% below where shares trade today.

Neither is a forecast, and I'm not predicting a 19% decline. The point is narrower. Buyers at today's price collect noticeably less than the stock offered as recently as January, so the return from here depends more on the stock continuing to climb than income investors may realize.

However, I still think Coca-Cola is one of the most dependable dividend payers in the market. And for investors who already own the stock, a 28% gain plus a raised payout is a fine year -- selling wouldn't be my move. But I wouldn't put new money into the dividend stock at this yield, either. For income buyers, patience seems like the better play. Either the dividend grows into today's price over time, or the market offers a better entry somewhere along the way.

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola is branching out into new customizable drinks and trend-driven equipment as consumers — and food service operators — increasingly want more options.

Tucked away in an anonymous office park not far from its global headquarters here, Coke has been working on a flood of innovation at its secretive labs, including a way for its Freestyle drink dispensers to make dirty sodas, which combine pop with flavored syrups, cream or other ingredients. In partnership with AMC Theatres, it is testing a Micro Matic dispenser that can make brightly colored refreshers. And Coke has more white-label beverage options on the way, like an energy drink that can be customized by color and flavor.

For many restaurants, handcrafted drinks like refreshers or iced coffee have become an important way to drive traffic and sales, even as diners broadly cut their spending. In the second quarter of this year, beverage servings at restaurants outpaced both servings of food alone and food with beverages, according to Circana data. When consumers are away from home, a drink often represents more than hydration, particularly for Generation Z.

"Oftentimes these beverages are an opportunity to take a break, get some energy or protein, have a treat, at a lower price point," David Portalatin, Circana senior vice president and food service industry advisor, told CNBC.

From McDonald's to Wendy's, longtime Coke customers have been expanding their beverage offerings to meet the shift in consumer behavior and boost their profit margins. As operators seek to add more drinks to their menus, Coke must add more convenient beverage options — or risk losing sales to a competitor.

"It's our job to ensure that we're providing unique experiences and beverages because it's not a bonus now with consumers — it's the norm, they expect it," said Megan Tallman, Coke's vice president of dispensed equipment and innovation for its North American business. "When you think about Gen Z, they are okay paying $10 for a drink that is craveable and that they can show on their Instagram or on TikTok, which is helping our customers drive margin and also beverage attachment."

Beyond FreestyleThis July, Coca-Cola's Freestyle drink dispenser celebrated its 17th anniversary.

"Honestly, if you fast forward to today, Freestyle is more relevant today than probably it was over a decade ago," Tallman said, crediting the machine's dozens of flavors.

Even with the variety it offers, Coke is still trying to evolve to keep up.

In the time since the Freestyle was introduced, the number of specialty beverage chains has exploded, offering customers nearly unlimited ways to customize their drinks, from sugar content to toppings. Market research firm Technomic tracks more than 100 different chains, with more than 41,000 locations across the U.S. combined, selling everything from coffee to juice to boba.

Ever since Freestyle began popping up in restaurants and movie theaters, the dispensers have poured more than 67 billion 8-ounce servings of beverages; Coke has been able to track them all, thanks to the equipment's real-time data collection. That data is coming in handy now.

Inside its Equipment Innovation Center in Atlanta, a massive television screen displays real-time data showing what drinks dispensed by the Freestyle are trending, what time of day and where — from the region to the type of business. AHA sparkling water, for example, is trending up at office buildings and hospitals.

Insights from Freestyle dispensers also help the company discover new drinks that it can launch in grocery stores, like the limited-time Coca-Cola Orange Cream, which combines its namesake soda with vanilla and orange syrup.

"If we see that the flavors that we're offering to consumers in food service are actually resonating — it's the largest testing platform out there," Tallman said.

But Coke has more ideas in store.

First is the Freestyle Mini, which initially launched in Europe. Intended for bars and restaurants with limited space, the dispenser holds up to 16 drink options, more than double the choices available in a traditional soda gun. Coke unveiled the new smaller machine at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago this spring, but the company has not yet sold it to customers in the U.S.

And then there are other equipment ideas that aren't as far along, inspired by Coke's desire to branch out into dirty soda, refreshers and coffee.

To automate dirty soda, Coke has created a prototype that adds a dairy module to the classic Freestyle dispenser. Utah-based chain Swig takes credit for its invention of the dirty soda, although the trendy drink has now spread far and wide, from KFC restaurants to grocery store shelves.

The trend has helped to change soda's image from a tired, mass-market drink to a handcrafted beverage that can be a treat.

"Gen Z is the first generation raised to believe that nothing you consume is neutral, so everything is either helping you or costing you," said Matthew Greer, food, agribusiness and beverage analyst for Truist. "So, traditional soda does nothing for me, and it gives me 40 grams of sugar, so that fails the test."

The rise of a dirty soda is boon for Coke, because pop is still its number one category. Coke's sparkling soft drinks business, which houses soda brands like Sprite, Schweppes and Fanta, still accounts for 69% of the company's overall unit case volume, even as other ventures like coffee and dairy-based beverages have grown. Coke's namesake soda alone accounted for 47% of global unit case volume and 42% of U.S. unit case volume in 2025, according to a company filing.

Coke's prototypical dispensed dirty soda comes with a preprogrammed recipe, allowing for little customization but eliminating mess. The prototype, which took roughly three weeks to create, keeps the recognizable drip down the sides of the cup, giving the dirty soda its trademark visual appeal.

Refreshing its offeringsBeyond the Freestyle, Coke is also testing Micro Matic "mixology" dispensers to make refreshers and iced coffee drinks.

Starbucks created the refresher back in 2012 to appeal to non-coffee drinkers who wanted a boost, especially in the afternoon, when traffic to its cafes slowed. Customers can pick their bases, flavors and even caffeine level. Refreshers now represent about $2 billion in annual sales for Starbucks.

Other restaurant chains, such as Panera Bread to Dunkin', have taken note. Refreshers can be found on 8.1% of menus at national restaurant chains, according to Datassential.

"It's almost, I think, a compliment, the fact that our Refresher business is being imitated in so many places," Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said on the company's earnings conference call in late April.

For its part, Coke is hoping to make its mark on the refresher category — whatever that means.

"There's no real definition for what a refresher is, so we're trying to take a stand on what that can be and what function that we believe it should deliver to the guest," said Sarah Kate Sims, director of dispensed innovation for Coca-Cola North America.

To Sims, a refresher is a "healthier" beverage that delivers some kind of pick-me-up without a traditional coffee caffeine base, instead using a green tea or a natural coffee extract as a base. And a refresher must look good, too, she said.

"So that's what I'm working on for next year," Sims said.

Inside 'The Vault'Coke's innovation efforts aren't restricted to equipment either. Across the parking lot from its Global Equipment Platforms office is "The Vault," where the company tests new drinks.

"We bring a lot of our top customers here to showcase our innovation and mixology, but also to collaborate and problem-solve and tackle the biggest challenges in the business," said Caroline Zambataro, collaboration architect at Coke.

One of those customers is Whataburger. Coke worked with the Texas-based burger chain for about 18 months on its line of "Whatafreshers," which launched in July.

In some cases, consumers might not even realize that they are drinking a Coke product. For example, the company considers itself a "pioneer" of premium lemonade after launching a white-label version more than a decade ago.

More than 40,000 bubbler dispensers carry the drink, according to Tallman. That number includes Wendy's, which sells it under "Dave's Craft Lemonade," after founder Dave Thomas.

These days, lemonade is a popular base for a lot of refreshers and other brightly colored drinks. So, too, is Sprite, which ranked fifth among U.S. carbonated soft drink brands by 2025 sales volume, according to Beverage Digest.

But Coke is also working on a new blank slate for handcrafted beverages: a colorless, relatively unflavored energy drink that comes in frozen or liquid form. The company plans to launch the beverage with food service operators in the first half of 2027.

Energy drinks are a much smaller category than sparkling beverages, but the segment has the highest expected growth projections for the next 10 years, according to Tallman.

"We believe this solution really meets many consumers because more female consumers are interested in energy if it's a handcrafted solution," Tallman said.

Starting with Celsius, the conversation around energy drinks has changed, widening their audience and the number of occasions where they can be consumed, Truist's Greer said. Rather than a beverage that you buy at the gas station for a pick-me-up, now energy drinks can become a part of some consumers' workout routines.

Coke's take on energy drinks will be designed to be served by employees to "limit consumption," according to Tallman. A 12-ounce serving of Coke's version contains 106 milligrams of caffeine, roughly the same amount as the same size can of Red Bull and half of the caffeine content of a Celsius can. Excessive caffeine consumption has become a liability concern after Panera Bread's Charged Lemonade was named in at least two wrongful death lawsuits.

A golden opportunityBroadly, Coke has been fielding more inquiries from food service partners these days about customizable drinks, according to Melinda Pritchett, director of innovation for Coke's North American business.

"If you're looking at what McDonald's is doing with the handcrafted beverages, all of our customers are saying, 'We should be in that as well,'" she said.

As the largest U.S. restaurant chain by system sales, McDonald's playbook is often replicated elsewhere. In May, the fast-food giant expanded its McCafe menu in the U.S. to include refreshers and crafted sodas, including Coke's Sprite and Hi-C, as part of its broader strategy to lean into beverages.

"In the U.S., [drink] sales are ahead of plan. Guest checks are higher, and we're seeing new occasions emerge throughout the day," McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said on the company's earnings conference call earlier in August. "We've also seen strong food attachment rates on these orders."

But the drink launch arrived during what was otherwise a lackluster quarter for McDonald's U.S. business, which reported same-store sales growth of just 0.8%. The company has replaced its U.S. president in the hopes of accelerating its domestic division.

On Monday, McDonald's further expanded its beverage options with the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer. Red Bull is privately owned, with no connection to Coke. The chain's choice to partner with a competitor rather than using an energy drink affiliated with Coke, like Monster, has sparked speculation about the state of the companies' more than 70-year-long relationship.

"We have a fantastic and very long-standing partnership with McDonald's, and that's intact, right? We continue to be very happy with that partnership," Coke CEO Henrique Braun said on the company's earnings conference call in late April, answering an analyst question about the partnership. "… We do respect the decisions on other choices about their relationships with other companies."

Ultimately, the most important part of any business relationship is the effect on sales.

When testing a new beverage with a food service partner, Coke tracks a couple of different performance metrics, like "incremental volume." In other words, would a customer buy one of the new refreshers even if they wouldn't otherwise buy a drink?

A survey of several dozen U.S. McDonald's franchisees conducted by Kalinowski Equity Research found that more than half of operators said the specialty drinks are performing in line with their expectations.

"They are selling great, but most of it is a trade-off from other beverages," one anonymous franchisee said in the survey. "Not many new transaction counts."

Analyst IMS Investment Management Services Ltd. trimmed its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 64.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,980 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,073 shares during the quarter. Analyst IMS Investment Management Services Ltd.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $323,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in CocaCola during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in CocaCola during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 performance supports the stock. Coca-Cola reported adjusted earnings of $0.97 per share, exceeding the $0.93 analyst consensus, while revenue increased 6.2% year over year to $13.37 billion, ahead of expectations. The company maintained fiscal 2026 earnings guidance of $3.27-$3.30 per share. Reflecting on beverages, alcohol, and tobacco stocks’ Q2 earnings: Coca-Cola
Positive Sentiment: Dividend reliability is attracting income-focused investors. Coverage highlights Coca-Cola’s status as a long-running “Dividend King,” with a decades-long record of annual dividend increases. Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s investment company, receives approximately $848 million annually from its Coca-Cola holding, underscoring the scale and consistency of the payout. Does Coca-Cola pay dividends? Its yield and payout explained Dividend King pays Warren Buffett’s Berkshire $848 million each year
Positive Sentiment: Momentum and defensive demand remain favorable. Coca-Cola recently moved above $90 and reached a new 52-week high, while reports say investors are seeking established blue-chip names. This supports the view that KO is benefiting from its defensive consumer-staples profile. Coca-Cola Stock Hits All-Time High as Investors Seek Out Blue-Chip Names
Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a potential headwind. At roughly 28 times earnings and near its 52-week high, KO already reflects substantial optimism. Investors may require continued earnings growth and dividend support to justify additional gains. Coca-Cola Breaks $90 for the First Time

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on CocaCola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America boosted their price target on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. HSBC lowered shares of CocaCola from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, CocaCola has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.76.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on KO

CocaCola Trading Up 0.3%
Shares of NYSE:KO opened at $90.58 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $84.11 and a 200 day moving average of $80.30. The company has a market cap of $389.72 billion, a PE ratio of 27.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.33. CocaCola Company has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $91.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 EPS for the current year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is presently 63.66%.

Insider Activity
In other news, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total transaction of $13,313,290.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,439,553.27. This represents a 35.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.65, for a total value of $6,788,925.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 35,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,172,982.45. The trade was a 68.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 1,433,535 shares of company stock valued at $121,922,698 in the last three months. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About CocaCola
(Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.

Recommended Stories

Five stocks we like better than CocaCola
3 Energy Stocks Raising Dividends as the Sector Surges
5 Reasons the S&P 500 Could Keep Rallying Through Year-End
Walmart’s Post-Earnings Drop Could Be a Buying Opportunity
The Trade Desk’s Earnings Miss Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Future

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Borer Denton & Associates Inc. increased its position in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 221.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,716 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,824 shares during the quarter. Borer Denton & Associates Inc.’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $1,277,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of KO. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 4.3% in the second quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 9,382 shares of the company’s stock worth $763,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its stake in CocaCola by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 204,720 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,984,000 after purchasing an additional 948 shares during the period. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC grew its holdings in CocaCola by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 11,848 shares of the company’s stock valued at $963,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Petros Family Wealth LLC grew its holdings in CocaCola by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Petros Family Wealth LLC now owns 13,276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,079,000 after buying an additional 399 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Florida Trust Wealth Management Co increased its position in CocaCola by 11.3% in the 2nd quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 129,040 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,487,000 after buying an additional 13,139 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola Price Performance Shares of KO stock opened at $90.38 on Thursday. CocaCola Company has a 12 month low of $65.35 and a 12 month high of $90.92. The company has a market capitalization of $388.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.14, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.33. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $83.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $80.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.CocaCola’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 EPS for the current year. CocaCola Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s payout ratio is 63.66%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $93.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Seaport Research Partners set a $95.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Friday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $86.00 target price (up from $82.00) on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $100.00 price target (up from $89.00) on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, UBS Group set a $104.00 price target on shares of CocaCola and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.76.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on KO

Insider Transactions at CocaCola In other news, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total value of $13,313,290.73. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,439,553.27. This represents a 35.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.65, for a total transaction of $6,788,925.55. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 35,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,172,982.45. The trade was a 68.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,433,535 shares of company stock worth $121,922,698. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About CocaCola (Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.

Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than CocaCola Bloom Energy’s AI Surge Meets a Valuation Reality Check Target Is Winning Shoppers Back—Can the Rally Reach $180? IonQ’s Space Contract Points to a New Frontier for Quantum Investors Is Apple’s AI Strategy Smarter Than Skeptics Think?

Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Florida Trust Wealth Management Co grew its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 11.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 129,040 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,139 shares during the period. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $10,487,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Everpar Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in CocaCola by 0.9% in the second quarter. Everpar Advisors LLC now owns 14,504 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,179,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in CocaCola by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 40,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,109,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. HORAN Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 3,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $263,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Wills Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of CocaCola by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Wills Financial Group LLC now owns 10,170 shares of the company’s stock valued at $816,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lee Financial Co lifted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Lee Financial Co now owns 25,177 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,051,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola Price Performance Shares of NYSE KO opened at $90.38 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $83.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $388.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $90.92.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. CocaCola’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. CocaCola Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.66%.

Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently commented on KO. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on CocaCola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Truist Financial set a $88.00 price target on CocaCola in a report on Friday, June 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $93.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.76.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on KO

Insider Buying and Selling at CocaCola In other news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.65, for a total value of $6,788,925.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 35,393 shares in the company, valued at $3,172,982.45. This represents a 68.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.46, for a total value of $7,946,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 181,384 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,412,772.64. This represents a 35.54% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 1,433,535 shares of company stock worth $121,922,698. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

CocaCola Profile (Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than CocaCola Bloom Energy’s AI Surge Meets a Valuation Reality Check Target Is Winning Shoppers Back—Can the Rally Reach $180? IonQ’s Space Contract Points to a New Frontier for Quantum Investors Is Apple’s AI Strategy Smarter Than Skeptics Think?

Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

One of the best blue chip stocks on the market is not only a reliable dividend payer and raiser, it has also crushed the market lately. Shares of the company, which runs a highly profitable and ever-growing business familiar to billions of people, have returned more than 27% this year, almost double the 14.5% of the benchmark S&P 500 index.

Personally speaking, this has been one of my favorite large-cap stocks for years. 

Image source: Getty Images.

The world's favorite drink maker It's very possible you have one of this company's products in your refrigerator, or even open at your desk, as we speak. This ever-impressive enterprise is beverage titan Coca-Cola (KO +2.12%).

The company needs little introduction, as the vast majority of the world's population is familiar with its signature drink. What many don't know is that Coke, the beverage, is merely one of over 200 libations in the company's portfolio. It also owns other classic sodas (Sprite and Fanta, to name only two), sports drinks (Powerade), and even canned cocktails (Fresca Mixed).

That sets it apart from the company usually considered its top rival, PepsiCo, which combines a wide selection of snack foods with its beverage portfolio.

In the mid-to-late 2010s, Coca-Cola began restructuring its business, divesting itself of capital-intensive production operations like bottling plants and warehouses. For the most part, it sold them to the local bottlers it had been doing business with for years.

This transformed the company into a lean, asset-light operation that focuses on selling its concentrates and syrups, and on the huge marketing effort that maintains the high profile of its drinks.

The shift also lifted Coca-Cola's already-impressive profit margins even higher. These days, they're well above those of most blue chips.

Take the company's second quarter -- global case volume rose by 5% year over year, which was strong given the age of its brands and their ubiquitous presence. That helped boost revenue by 7% to $13.4 billion, and adjusted net income by 6% to nearly $4.2 billion.

That makes for a net margin of 31%. Recently, the S&P 500 index (of which Coca-Cola is a component) has seen an uptick in average profitability among its constituent companies. The drinks giant beats the pants off this figure; in fact, its percentage is nearly double that average of 15.7%.

Today's Change

(

2.12

%) $

1.84

Current Price

$

88.82

64 years of dividend hikes, and more to come If managed well, a consistently profitable business will throw off tons of cash. Mission accomplished with Coca-Cola, as the company's free cash flow for the first half of the year clocked in at $6.9 billion. That's the kind of cash generation that can not only fund a generous dividend, but keep it constantly on the rise.

Coca-Cola is a champion at this. It's one of the market's rare Dividend Kings, that small group of companies that have engaged in dividend raises at least once every year for a minimum of 50 years running. Even among that exclusive lineup, the company is near the top with its current 64-year streak.

The company's dividend raises aren't token or marginal, either. In February, it bumped the quarterly payout 4% higher to $0.53 per share. That annualizes to $2.12 per share, yielding a fizzy 2.4%. While we're on the subject of Coca-Cola crushing S&P 500 index numbers, that's more than double the current 1% average of the index's component stocks.

Since the company's business is easier to predict than others and is tracked by many analysts, its revenue and profitability usually land close to estimates. So it's encouraging that the consensus analyst projection for annual earnings per share (EPS) is $3.34, more than 11% higher than the 2025 number. Revenue is expected to rise by over 3% to $49.7 billion.

Meanwhile, at the start of 2027, we can expect yet another dividend raise. So Coca-Cola's fundamentals and its payout are slated to rise, and surely not for the last time. What more could you want from an investment? To me, this eternal rock star of a stock is not only a buy in August, but also in any other month on the calendar. Every investor should consider owning it.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 16th, 2026

Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 5.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 146,133 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 7,670 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $11,876,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the period. Louisbourg Investments Inc. acquired a new stake in CocaCola in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in CocaCola in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Elevated Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CocaCola during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages recently commented on KO. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of CocaCola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group set a $104.00 price objective on CocaCola and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.76.

Get Our Latest Analysis on KO

CocaCola News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

Positive Sentiment: Raised outlook and margin gains: Coca-Cola’s improved full-year revenue and earnings guidance, expanding margins, broad-based volume growth and market-share gains reinforce confidence in its operating momentum. Coca-Cola’s Raised Guidance And Margin Gains Might Change the Case for Investing in Coca-Cola Positive Sentiment: Volume growth supports demand: Recent analysis points to steady global volume growth, suggesting consumers continue to purchase Coca-Cola products despite broader economic pressure. Coca-Cola in Focus as Volume Growth Anchors a Steady Picture Positive Sentiment: Analyst expectations remain supportive: Analysts have issued higher earnings forecasts and are preparing for third-quarter results, extending the positive reaction to the company’s latest earnings beat. Coca-Cola reported $0.97 in quarterly EPS versus a $0.93 consensus estimate, with revenue up 6.2% year over year. Positive Sentiment: Defensive and income appeal: Commentary continues to highlight KO as a Dividend King and a long-term Warren Buffett-backed holding. That reputation may support demand from investors seeking reliable dividends and relatively defensive consumer-staples exposure. 5 Dividend Kings to Buy and Hold Forever in August Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and sustainability are under debate: Investors are weighing Coca-Cola’s stronger results against whether its recent momentum can persist through the second half of the year. With the stock trading at a premium earnings multiple, further gains may depend on continued execution. The Debates That Matter for KO Stock Neutral Sentiment: Macro risks remain: Coverage is monitoring inflation, gasoline prices and consumer spending because higher household costs could pressure demand or reduce purchasing power. Why Is Coca-Cola in Focus as Gasoline Prices Pressure Consumers? Neutral Sentiment: Bottler financing news: Coca-Cola İçecek authorized management to seek up to $1 billion in overseas debt for refinancing and growth. The development concerns the regional bottler rather than Coca-Cola directly, so its immediate effect on KO is likely limited. Coca-Cola İçecek Seeks Up to USD 1 Billion in Overseas Debt Insider Activity In other CocaCola news, insider Bruno Pietracci sold 75,727 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.65, for a total transaction of $6,788,925.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 35,393 shares in the company, valued at $3,172,982.45. The trade was a 68.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total transaction of $13,313,290.73. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at $24,439,553.27. The trade was a 35.26% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 1,433,535 shares of company stock valued at $121,922,698 over the last quarter. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

CocaCola Trading Up 0.3% Shares of CocaCola stock opened at $87.66 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $83.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. CocaCola Company has a fifty-two week low of $65.35 and a fifty-two week high of $90.92. The firm has a market cap of $377.15 billion, a PE ratio of 26.32, a P/E/G ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.33.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The company had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that CocaCola Company will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.66%.

About CocaCola (Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.

See Also Five stocks we like better than CocaCola Is Best Buy the AI Winner Hiding in the Electronics Aisle? Applied Materials Beat Everything but Wall Street’s Expectations for Margins Back From Orbit, Intuitive Machines’ Share Price Enters the Buy Zone Texas Roadhouse and Brinker International Have the Recipe Rivals Are Missing

Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINESidus Space (NASDAQ:SIDU) vs. Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) Head to Head Survey

NEXT HEADLINE »Vanguard S&P 500 ETF $VOO is Aspire Growth Partners LLC’s Largest Position

© Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Here is the setup the headlines missed. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO | KO Price Prediction) reported Q1 2026 numbers that triggered a fast bearish reaction on social platforms, followed by an equally fast reversal from a very specific group of buyers: income investors. The stock is now up around 25% year to date, but since the end of July, shares have pulled back nearly 3%.

Currently trading around $86.72, and the Dividend King’s payout just got bigger, too. Retirees who bought the dip understood something the algorithms missed.

k

The Dividend Payment: What Just Hit Accounts Coca-Cola declared a quarterly dividend of 53 cents per share, with a payment date of July 1 for shareholders of record on June 15. That brings the annualized payout to $2.12 per share, up from $2.04 in 2025 and $1.94 in 2024. At the current share price, the forward yield runs roughly 3%.

The streak is the real headline. Coca-Cola management noted in Q4 2025 that the company paid $8.8 billion in dividends during 2025 and just delivered its 63rd consecutive year of dividend increases. There is no other consumer staple in the S&P 500 with that combination of longevity, scale, and global cash generation.

The “Volume Decline” Narrative vs. The Filing The bearish read on the quarter centered on softness in specific categories: juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverages declined 1% globally. That number got amplified across financial media. The wallstreetbets thread on June 7 swung sharply bearish, with sentiment dropping to 35 on 318 upvotes and 81 comments.

Then the actual filing did the talking. Global unit case volume rose 3%, led by China, the U.S. and India. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volume jumped 13% across every geographic operating segment. North America unit case volume grew 4%, and the company has now gained overall value share for 20 consecutive quarters. Reported revenue came in at $12.47 billion, up 12% year over year, beating consensus. EPS landed at 86 cents versus the 81-cent estimate, the fourth straight quarter topping expectations.

Operating margin expanded to 35% from 33%. Free cash flow more than doubled to $1.755 billion. None of that fits a volume-decline story.

What Retirees Saw That Day Traders Did Not Reddit data tells the divergence cleanly. While r/wallstreetbets oscillated between bearish and bullish in 24 hours, the r/dividendinvesting subreddit held a steady 70 to 72 sentiment score from May 25 through June 8, with an activity spike on June 8 (35 activity score, 71 comments). That is the footprint of income investors stepping in.

Three things they likely focused on:

The payout math still works. FY2025 EPS came in at $3.00, and management guided comparable EPS growth of 8% to 9% for 2026. The $2.12 annualized dividend is comfortably covered by both reported and forward earnings. Cash flow is accelerating. Full-year 2026 free cash flow is projected at approximately $12.2 billion, against roughly $8.8 billion in dividends paid last year. That cushion funds another increase and the $477 million in Q1 2026 buybacks. The growth profile improved. New CEO Henrique Braun told the call, “We are off to a good start this year. We delivered strong first quarter results despite a complex external environment.” Organic revenue growth of 10% backed him up. Grading the Dividend Metric Value Grade Input Forward yield 3% Average Consecutive years of increases 63 Elite 2025-to-2026 dividend growth $2.04 to $2.12 Solid FY2026 free cash flow guide ~$12.2 billion Strong coverage Beta 0.35 Defensive Forward P/E 25 Premium The yield alone earns a C. The 63-year growth streak, the defensive beta of 0.35, the 35% operating margin and the accelerating free cash flow lift the composite. Call it a B+ dividend: among the highest-quality income compounders available in U.S. large caps, with a modest yield offset by elite consistency. The premium multiple (trailing P/E of 25) is the trade-off for that quality.

What to Watch Next The pending sale of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is the swing factor for the back half. Management has baked an approximate 4% headwind from acquisitions and divestitures into guidance, which keeps expectations grounded. Analyst consensus sits at a $85.97 target, with 19 Buy or Strong Buy ratings against four Hold ratings and one Strong sell rating.

Income investors who acted on the volume-decline headline got rewarded twice: a bigger dividend and a stock price that did not stay cheap for long. That is what they knew.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways Coca-Cola's Q2 unit case volume rose 5%, led by gains across sparkling drinks and other categories.KO raised 2026 free cash flow guidance to $12.4 billion as first-half cash flow reached $6.9 billion.KO trades at 25.3X forward earnings, above peers and its five-year median, raising execution risk. The Coca-Cola Company (KO - Free Report) continues to pair resilient operating performance with an improving earnings outlook. Broad-based volume growth, margin expansion and higher cash-flow guidance reinforce the durability of its global beverage system.

The harder question is whether those strengths justify the current price. KO’s premium valuation leaves less room for execution missteps, making sustained earnings delivery central to the investment case.

Coca-Cola’s Growth Engine Remains ResilientCoca-Cola’s portfolio spans 32 billion-dollar brands across sparkling beverages, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, dairy and other categories. Its global bottling and distribution network allows the company to tailor products, packages and price points to local demand while maintaining scale.

Second-quarter unit case volume increased 5%. Sparkling soft drinks advanced 4%, while water, sports, coffee and tea rose 6%. Trademark Coca-Cola volume gained 5% across all geographic operating segments and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar grew 16%.

PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP - Free Report) offers investors another diversified beverage platform, supplemented by a large convenient-foods business. PepsiCo affirmed its fiscal 2026 guidance after reporting second-quarter results, highlighting the broader defensive appeal of scaled consumer brands.

KO’s Premium Valuation Narrows the Margin for ErrorKO trades at 25.3X forward 12-month earnings. That exceeds 19.5X for its Zacks sub-industry, 17.1X for the Consumer Staples sector and 20.6X for the S&P 500.

The multiple also stands above Coca-Cola’s five-year median of 23X. Investors are therefore paying in advance for dependable growth, margin discipline and continued estimate support. Any slowdown in volume, pricing or profit conversion could pressure confidence more quickly at this valuation.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (KDP - Free Report) provides a North American comparison with exposure to soft drinks, coffee, water, tea, juice and mixers. Its broad beverage portfolio gives investors another way to evaluate the premium assigned to Coca-Cola’s global scale.

Coca-Cola’s Cash Flow Supports Durable ReturnsCash generation remains a core strength. Coca-Cola produced $6.9 billion in free cash flow during the first half of 2026 and raised its full-year free cash flow outlook to about $12.4 billion from $12.2 billion.

Net debt leverage was 1.4 times EBITDA at the end of the quarter, below management’s target range of 2-2.5 times. That balance-sheet position supports continued spending on brands, digital capabilities and capacity while preserving room for shareholder distributions.

Coca-Cola raised its quarterly dividend 4% to 53 cents per share in February 2026, bringing the annualized dividend to $2.12. The increase marked the company’s 64th consecutive year of dividend growth, reinforcing the appeal of its predictable cash-generation model.

KO Faces Uneven Demand and Execution RisksConsumer conditions remain inconsistent. Lower-income households continue to face pressure in the United States and Europe, sentiment in China is cautious and conditions across Latin America are mixed.

Asia Pacific price and mix declined 9% as affordability initiatives, geographic mix and investment timing offset strong volume growth. Higher input costs and marketing spending also remain considerations as Coca-Cola balances consumer recruitment with profit expansion.

The pending Coca-Cola Beverages Africa divestiture adds timing and regulatory uncertainty. Management assumes the transaction will close near the end of the third quarter or during the fourth quarter, leaving some risk around the expected structural margin benefit.

KO’s Buy Signal Clashes With Weak Style ScoresCoca-Cola’s operating resilience, higher guidance and cash-flow strength support the long-term case. The premium valuation and uneven demand backdrop, however, suggest that investors should remain selective rather than treat the stock as an automatic purchase.

KO currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting a favorable near-term earnings-revision backdrop. Its VGM Score of D is less supportive. The Value Score of F signals valuation concerns, while the Growth Score of C and Momentum Score of C indicate only neutral characteristics in those styles.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The combination favors a balanced view. Coca-Cola has durable business strengths and improving estimates, but the current multiple requires continued execution to justify a fresh position.

Investors don't typically expect mature, low-growth, and boring companies to outperform the S&P 500 index. Coca-Cola (KO -1.02%) has something to say about that assumption.

The leading beverage brand's share price is up 26% in 2026 (as of July 29), well ahead of the benchmark's 9% gain.

That capital appreciation might hide the main attraction. Let's take a closer look at this dividend stock that keeps raising its payout no matter what the market is doing.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Hiking dividends since the 1960s The S&P 500 index could be in a raging bull market. Or it could be in a troubling bear market. The economy could be booming. Or it could be in a recessionary period.

Whatever the situation, it doesn't impact Coca-Cola's shareholder returns policy. After implementing a hike in February, the business has now raised its dividend payout in 64 straight years. This makes it a Dividend King.

The current yield of 2.4% is certainly sizable. It compares favorably to the 1.08% yield of the S&P 500 index.

Because Coca-Cola is so profitable in both robust and adverse economic times, it has the financial resources to maintain its commitment to investors. It reported free cash flow of $6.9 billion over the last six months.

Today's Change

(

-1.02

%) $

-0.90

Current Price

$

87.59

Momentum continues in a difficult environment Investors shouldn't be worried about the sustainability of Coca-Cola's dividend hikes. The company's performance in the most recent fiscal quarter (Q2 2026, ended July 3) will give the market the confidence it needs. The momentum is showing up at a time when there are macroeconomic concerns.

Coca-Cola posted net revenue of $13.4 billion, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.97. Both of these headline figures came in ahead of Wall Street analyst estimates. The company's financial gains were propelled by the World Cup, as management noted how the addition of hydration breaks during matches created advertising opportunities that benefited the Coca-Cola flagship drink and Powerade.

The business gained market share. And each of its segments registered unit volume gains during the quarter.

The leadership team felt confident enough to upgrade guidance. Management now expects adjusted EPS growth of 9% to 10%, up one full percentage point from the previous forecast.

Pricing power is a clear indicator of a company's quality. And Coca-Cola absolutely shines in this regard. The business has a stellar history of raising beverage prices. Because of its industry-leading position and strong brand awareness, customers typically don't turn away.

This will continue to propel the company decades into the future. And for investors seeking an ever-increasing income stream, expect Coca-Cola to keep its streak alive.

Ashton Thomas Securities LLC increased its stake in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 112.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,978 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,277 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $2,052,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KO. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 374,771,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,200,276,000 after purchasing an additional 5,886,352 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of CocaCola by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 167,850,330 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,734,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,992,327 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in CocaCola by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 89,984,203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,273,037,000 after buying an additional 433,547 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in CocaCola during the 4th quarter valued at $3,865,807,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in CocaCola by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 40,289,857 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,816,697,000 after buying an additional 1,195,581 shares during the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of CocaCola from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of CocaCola from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial set a $88.00 target price on shares of CocaCola in a report on Friday, June 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $93.00 price target on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $86.00 price target (up from $82.00) on shares of CocaCola in a report on Tuesday. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.56.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on CocaCola

CocaCola Stock Performance Shares of CocaCola stock opened at $89.30 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $81.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.53. The company has a market capitalization of $384.22 billion, a PE ratio of 26.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $90.92.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s payout ratio is 66.67%.

Insider Activity at CocaCola In related news, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 23,984 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.41, for a total value of $2,000,505.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 157,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,128,734. The trade was a 13.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total value of $2,559,411.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,074,096.90. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 975,632 shares of company stock valued at $78,621,241 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and higher guidance supported the rally. Coca-Cola reported adjusted earnings of $0.97 per share versus the $0.93 consensus, while revenue reached approximately $13.37 billion, ahead of expectations. Global unit-case volume increased 5%, and management raised its 2026 outlook for organic revenue growth to about 5% and comparable EPS growth to 9%-10%. Coca-Cola Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year Guidance Positive Sentiment: World Cup marketing helped drive unusually strong consumption. Coca-Cola said FIFA World Cup activity contributed to its best quarterly volume growth in 17 years. The company also gained value share through pricing, product mix, zero-sugar beverages, and Fairlife, indicating resilience despite uneven consumer spending. Coca-Cola hails World Cup hydration breaks as it lifts annual forecasts Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their expectations. Jefferies lifted its price target to $104, while TD Cowen and Citigroup raised targets to $100. JPMorgan increased its target to $96, and Bank of America maintained a Buy rating with a $100 target, citing “best-in-class” consumption trends. Positive Sentiment: Brand strength and digital engagement remain long-term positives. Coverage highlighted Coca-Cola’s broad moat, reliable dividend, and expanded digital and social-media reach during the World Cup, reinforcing the investment case for steady long-term growth. Coca-Cola Dominated the Summer’s Biggest Sporting Event Neutral Sentiment: Most Fairlife production has resumed after a cyberattack, reducing the likelihood of a prolonged operational disruption. Coca-Cola says most of Fairlife’s production has been resumed after cyberattack Negative Sentiment: Valuation and a dissenting analyst view temper optimism. Coca-Cola trades at roughly 28 times earnings after gaining more than 20% in 2026. HSBC downgraded the stock to Hold, arguing upside may be limited and that PepsiCo offers better value. Negative Sentiment: An insider sold 75,727 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards. Because the sale was planned and tax-related, it is a limited negative signal rather than a clear change in management’s outlook. CocaCola Company Profile (Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than CocaCola Why SK hynix Could Be the Best AI Chip Stock to Buy Now Seagate Technology Stock Surges as Earnings Beat Silences AI Doubters Alphabet Is Down 18% From Its High After a Stellar Quarter—Overdone, or More Downside Ahead? Why Bloom Energy May Be the Most Important AI Infrastructure Stock Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 30th, 2026

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 51.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,572 shares of the company’s stock after selling 23,024 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $1,641,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC purchased a new position in CocaCola during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Jennifer K. Mann sold 100,000 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.46, for a total value of $7,946,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 181,384 shares in the company, valued at $14,412,772.64. The trade was a 35.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total transaction of $34,960,398.48. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 122,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,842,608.29. This trade represents a 78.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 975,632 shares of company stock valued at $78,621,241. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola Trading Up 1.2% KO opened at $89.30 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $78.53. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $65.35 and a 52 week high of $90.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market cap of $384.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.34.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $13.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes KO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of CocaCola from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial set a $88.00 price target on CocaCola in a research note on Friday, June 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on CocaCola from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.56.

Get Our Latest Research Report on KO

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and higher guidance supported the rally. Coca-Cola reported adjusted earnings of $0.97 per share versus the $0.93 consensus, while revenue reached approximately $13.37 billion, ahead of expectations. Global unit-case volume increased 5%, and management raised its 2026 outlook for organic revenue growth to about 5% and comparable EPS growth to 9%-10%. Coca-Cola Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year Guidance Positive Sentiment: World Cup marketing helped drive unusually strong consumption. Coca-Cola said FIFA World Cup activity contributed to its best quarterly volume growth in 17 years. The company also gained value share through pricing, product mix, zero-sugar beverages, and Fairlife, indicating resilience despite uneven consumer spending. Coca-Cola hails World Cup hydration breaks as it lifts annual forecasts Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their expectations. Jefferies lifted its price target to $104, while TD Cowen and Citigroup raised targets to $100. JPMorgan increased its target to $96, and Bank of America maintained a Buy rating with a $100 target, citing “best-in-class” consumption trends. Positive Sentiment: Brand strength and digital engagement remain long-term positives. Coverage highlighted Coca-Cola’s broad moat, reliable dividend, and expanded digital and social-media reach during the World Cup, reinforcing the investment case for steady long-term growth. Coca-Cola Dominated the Summer’s Biggest Sporting Event Neutral Sentiment: Most Fairlife production has resumed after a cyberattack, reducing the likelihood of a prolonged operational disruption. Coca-Cola says most of Fairlife’s production has been resumed after cyberattack Negative Sentiment: Valuation and a dissenting analyst view temper optimism. Coca-Cola trades at roughly 28 times earnings after gaining more than 20% in 2026. HSBC downgraded the stock to Hold, arguing upside may be limited and that PepsiCo offers better value. Negative Sentiment: An insider sold 75,727 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax obligations tied to vested equity awards. Because the sale was planned and tax-related, it is a limited negative signal rather than a clear change in management’s outlook. CocaCola Profile (Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than CocaCola Why SK hynix Could Be the Best AI Chip Stock to Buy Now Seagate Technology Stock Surges as Earnings Beat Silences AI Doubters Alphabet Is Down 18% From Its High After a Stellar Quarter—Overdone, or More Downside Ahead? Why Bloom Energy May Be the Most Important AI Infrastructure Stock Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINEArkadios Wealth Advisors Grows Stock Holdings in McDonald’s Corporation $MCD

NEXT HEADLINE »Broadcom Inc. $AVGO Shares Bought by Ashton Thomas Securities LLC

The Coca-Cola Company (KO) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 28, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Todd Beiger - VP & Head of Investor Relations
Henrique Braun - CEO & Director
John Murphy - President & CFO

Conference Call Participants

Lauren Lieberman - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division
Dara Mohsenian - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Stephen Robert Powers - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division
Christopher Carey - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
Filippo Falorni - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
Robert Ottenstein - Evercore ISI Institutional Equities, Research Division
Peter Galbo - BofA Securities, Research Division
Peter Grom - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Andrea Teixeira - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Kaumil Gajrawala - Jefferies LLC, Research Division
Bonnie Herzog - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division

Presentation

Operator

At this time, I'd like to welcome everyone to the Coca-Cola Company's Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Results Conference Call. Today's call is being recorded. If you have any objections, please disconnect at this time. [Operator Instructions] I would like to remind everyone that the purpose of this conference is to talk with investors, and therefore, questions from the media will not be addressed. Media participants should contact Coca-Cola's Media Relations department if they have any questions.

I would now like to introduce Todd Beiger, Vice President and Head of Investor Relations. Mr. Beiger, you may now begin.

Todd Beiger
VP & Head of Investor Relations

Good morning, and thank you for joining us. I'm here with Henrique Braun, our Chief Executive Officer; and John Murphy, our President and Chief Financial Officer. We've posted schedules under Financial Information in the Investors section of our company website. These reconcile certain non-GAAP financial measures that may be referred to this morning to results as reported under generally accepted accounting principles. You can also find schedules in the same section of our website that provide an analysis of our gross and

A driver delivers Coca-Cola products to stores in Boston, Massachusetts, April 24, 2008. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

July 27 (Reuters) - Coca-Cola (KO.N), opens new tab on Monday said its dairy company, fairlife, ​resumed most of the production at four U.S. ‌facilities, where operations were halted after unauthorized third-party access on some systems.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Fairlife, earlier this month, joined companies grappling with a ​surge in AI-driven cyberattacks and ​ransomware that steal sensitive data and ⁠disrupt operations, leading to a halt in domestic ​production.

The Chicago-based company launched an investigation with ​the help of external cybersecurity experts and advisers; Coca-Cola, which wholly owns fairlife, had said ​product quality and safety had not ​been affected by the incident.

Hacking gang Anubis claimed credit ‌for ⁠the hack on Tuesday, and said it had stolen 1 terabyte of data from fairlife.

The beverages giant said ​fairlife was working ​to restore ⁠impacted systems and operations; existing inventory helped maintain retail availability of products.

The ​company said the incident is ​not ⁠likely to have a material impact on its financial condition or results. ⁠Coca-Cola ​is expected to ​report second-quarter results on Tuesday.

Reporting by Neil J Kanatt ​in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Key Takeaways Coca-Cola is expected to report Q2'26 revenue and EPS growth, with results due on July 28.KO's all-weather strategy is supported by pricing actions, organic growth and global value share gains.KO faces volume pressure in North America and Europe as value-conscious consumers weigh on demand. The Coca-Cola Company (KO - Free Report) is slated to report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 28, before the opening bell. The company is expected to register year-over-year top- and bottom-line growth when it posts second-quarter numbers.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $13.1 billion, implying 4.2% growth from the year-ago quarter's reported figure. The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at 92 cents per share, indicating 5.6% growth from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark for earnings has been unchanged in the past 30 days.

The Atlanta, GA-based company has been reporting steady earnings, as evidenced by its positive earnings surprise trend in the trailing 12 quarters. Coca-Cola delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 4.5%, on average. On the last reported quarter’s earnings call, the company registered an earnings surprise of 6.2%. Given its positive record, the question is, can KO maintain its momentum?

Q2 Earnings Whispers for Coca-ColaOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for KO this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Coca-Cola currently has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Trends in Focus Ahead of KO's Q2 Earnings ReleaseCoca-Cola’s second-quarter 2026 results are expected to reflect the strength of its all-weather strategy and the resilience of its global portfolio. KO’s momentum has been fueled by solid organic revenue growth, effective pricing actions and continued gains in global value share across the non-alcoholic RTD category. The company’s ability to command premium pricing underscores the strength of its brand portfolio and execution discipline. Strategic revenue growth management and affordability initiatives are helping balance pricing with consumer retention.

Our model predicts organic revenue growth of 3.9% and comparable EPS to rise 6.5% year over year to 93 cents for the second quarter.

KO’s ongoing focus on innovation, digital transformation and marketing excellence further sharpens its competitive edge, with breakthrough product launches and culturally resonant campaigns elevating brand relevance. The company’s refreshed marketing model blends digital, live and in-store touchpoints to build stronger, more personalized consumer connections. Margin expansion, driven by productivity gains, easing inflation and disciplined revenue growth management, reinforces its financial durability.

Looking ahead, Coca-Cola expects to maintain strong margin discipline, supported by productivity gains, favorable price/mix dynamics and gradual easing of inflationary pressures. Our model predicts the adjusted operating margin to expand 30 bps year over year to 35% in the second quarter, led by a flat adjusted gross margin rate and a 40-bps improvement in the SG&A expense rate.

For second-quarter 2026, comparable revenues and EPS are expected to include currency tailwinds of 1% and 3%, respectively. Both metrics are also estimated to include a 1% headwind from acquisitions and divestitures.

However, Coca-Cola is expected to have faced notable volume pressure in key markets, reflecting evolving consumer behavior and economic challenges, particularly in North America and Europe. The company is witnessing soft volumes as low-income consumers remain value-conscious amid inflationary pressures. These widespread volume challenges signal waning consumer momentum, particularly in lower-income groups.

While Coca-Cola continues to rely on price/mix gains to support revenues, the persistence of volume softness raises concerns about sustained demand, making recovery efforts in lagging regions even more critical.

Coca-Cola’s Price Performance & ValuationKO shares have risen as much as 17.6% year to date. The stock has outpaced the broader industry and the Consumer Staples sector’s 10.9% and 8.4% growth, respectively. KO stock has also outperformed the S&P 500 index, which has risen 9.5% in the same period.

KO Stock’s YTD Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Coca-Cola stock has outperformed its key competitor, PepsiCo Inc. (PEP - Free Report) , which has declined 5.4% year to date. Coca-Cola has also outpaced Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.’s (KDP - Free Report) growth of 7.9% but underperformed Monster Beverage Corporation’s (MNST - Free Report) rally of 24.8% in the same period.

From the valuation standpoint, KO trades at a forward 12-month P/E multiple of 24.3X, exceeding the industry average of 19.01X and the S&P 500’s average of 20.85X. Coca-Cola’s valuation appears quite pricey.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

KO undoubtedly commands a high valuation, reflecting its strong market positioning, brand power and long-term growth potential compared with other non-alcoholic beverage companies. However, we believe that its valuation is too stretched at this time.

Investment ThesisCoca-Cola remains a powerhouse in the beverage industry, commanding more than 40% of the global non-alcoholic beverage market. The company’s enduring success is driven by a formidable market presence, world-class marketing capabilities and a relentless focus on innovation. With a portfolio boasting more than 4,700 products and 500 brands, spanning sodas, juices, waters and energy drinks, Coca-Cola continues to reinforce its leadership.

KO’s dominant market share, broad product range and strategic emphasis on innovation and digital transformation position it well for sustained long-term growth. However, short-term headwinds, such as inflationary pressures, global macroeconomic uncertainties and unfavorable currency fluctuations, remain challenges to navigate.

ConclusionCoca-Cola enters its second-quarter earnings release with solid momentum, supported by pricing strength, organic revenue growth, productivity gains and disciplined margin management. Its powerful brand portfolio, innovation pipeline and global reach continue to reinforce long-term resilience. However, persistent volume weakness in North America and Europe, particularly among lower-income consumers, remains a key concern.

The stock’s strong year-to-date rally and premium valuation leave limited room for disappointment. Although Coca-Cola’s fundamentals remain sound, investors may prefer to wait for clearer evidence of volume recovery and sustained earnings momentum before considering fresh exposure at the current valuation levels following earnings.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 21st, 2026

Andra AP fonden boosted its stake in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 46.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 668,784 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 213,584 shares during the quarter. CocaCola comprises approximately 0.6% of Andra AP fonden’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Andra AP fonden’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $50,861,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 438.8% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the period. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new position in CocaCola during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CocaCola during the second quarter worth $26,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of CocaCola by 1,081.8% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of CocaCola in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key CocaCola News Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Coca-Cola’s pricing power and ability to balance higher prices with affordability and volume growth, suggesting the company can protect margins and sustain durable growth in 2026. Coca-Cola’s Pricing Power: Is it Still Driving Growth in 2026? Positive Sentiment: UBS said Coca-Cola’s growth outlook remains strong ahead of Q2 results, with expectations that the company will deliver solid earnings and keep full-year guidance intact, which could support shares if confirmed. Coca-Cola’s Growth Outlook Remains Strong Ahead of Q2 Results, UBS Says Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage also noted that KO is trading near all-time highs as investors rotate away from more volatile AI names, reinforcing Coca-Cola’s appeal as a stable large-cap holding. 5 Stocks Quietly Trading Near All-Time Highs While Everyone Watches the AI Drama (KO) Neutral Sentiment: Coca-Cola picked bankers for a possible India bottler IPO, which could be a long-term strategic move but does not yet provide enough detail on valuation, timing, or financial impact. Coca-Cola picks bankers for its India bottler IPO Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pieces of analyst and technical commentary are keeping KO in focus before earnings, but they are mostly reiterating existing bullish sentiment rather than revealing a fresh catalyst. Coca-Cola Stock in Focus: A Look at the Earnings, Analyst Activity, Technical Picture Negative Sentiment: Some commentary argues KO is trading at a premium valuation versus peers, which could limit upside if upcoming earnings or guidance fail to exceed expectations. Coca-Cola: Safety Has A Price, But Right Now, It’s A Premium One Insider Transactions at CocaCola In other news, Chairman James Quincey sold 436,296 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $34,960,398.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 122,833 shares in the company, valued at $9,842,608.29. This trade represents a 78.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 31,625 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.93, for a total transaction of $2,559,411.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,074,096.90. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 899,905 shares of company stock worth $71,832,315 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have weighed in on KO shares. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $91.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley set a $89.00 price target on CocaCola in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $83.00 price objective on CocaCola in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays raised their price target on CocaCola from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on CocaCola from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $89.20.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on CocaCola

CocaCola Price Performance KO stock opened at $82.07 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $353.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.36. CocaCola Company has a 52-week low of $65.35 and a 52-week high of $85.68. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $81.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $77.77.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $12.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.24 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 27.80% and a return on equity of 40.55%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.73 EPS. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.240-3.270 EPS. Research analysts expect that CocaCola Company will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.67%.

About CocaCola (Free Report)

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage manufacturer, marketer and distributor best known for its flagship Coca‑Cola soda. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company develops and sells concentrates, syrups and finished beverages across a broad portfolio of brands. Its product range spans sparkling soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, ready‑to‑drink teas and coffees, and other still beverages, marketed under both global and regional brand names.

Coca‑Cola’s brand portfolio includes widely recognized names such as Coca‑Cola, Diet Coke, Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani, and in recent years the company has expanded into the coffee and premium beverage categories through acquisitions such as Costa Coffee.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than CocaCola The Ugliest Stocks in the Market Just Got a Very Expensive Vote of Confidence Is Domino’s Stock Serving Up a Buying Opportunity? A $1T Black Hole: SpaceX Eyes Pentagon AI to Break Free Why Gold Miners Could Be the Market’s Biggest Comeback Story

Receive News & Ratings for CocaCola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CocaCola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINED.A. Davidson & CO. Sells 3,214 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Takeaways Coca-Cola expects pricing and volume to contribute more evenly to growth throughout 2026.Affordability packs and tailored pricing aim to preserve demand among value-conscious consumers.Revenue growth management and productivity initiatives support margins amid commodity inflation. The Coca-Cola Company's (KO - Free Report) pricing power remains an important growth driver. Still, the company's strategy has clearly evolved from relying primarily on price increases to pursuing a more balanced combination of pricing, affordability and volume growth. Management has emphasized that sustainable top-line expansion depends on maintaining equilibrium between pricing actions and consumer demand rather than maximizing price realization alone.

In the first quarter of 2026, Coca-Cola generated price/mix growth primarily through pricing actions, while offsetting some of that benefit with affordability initiatives and favorable package architecture. Management acknowledged that lower-income consumers continue to face economic pressure and highlighted its focus on offering attractive entry-price packs, multi-serve formats and value offerings across key markets. Rather than sacrificing volumes to protect pricing, Coca-Cola is using sophisticated revenue growth management capabilities to tailor pricing strategies by geography, channel and consumer segment.

Management stressed that pricing remains fully embedded within the company's long-term growth algorithm, but not at the expense of consumer relevance. The company expects pricing and volume to contribute more evenly throughout 2026, with quarterly fluctuations depending on market conditions. This balanced approach reflects Coca-Cola's confidence that its strong brand portfolio, localized execution and digital capabilities allow it to protect margins while preserving demand.

The company also reiterated that its revenue growth management architecture continues to provide a strong foundation for sustaining margins despite commodity inflation. Combined with productivity initiatives and targeted commercial investments, Coca-Cola believes that it can continue navigating macroeconomic uncertainty while maintaining healthy profitability. Management reaffirmed its 2026 organic revenue growth guidance and expressed confidence that balanced pricing, affordability initiatives and consistent volume gains will continue driving durable growth throughout 2026.

Is Pricing Power Driving Growth for PEP & MNST?Like Coca-Cola, pricing power has long been a defining strength for PepsiCo Inc. (PEP - Free Report) and Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST - Free Report) , but as consumers become more value-conscious in 2026.

PepsiCo's pricing power remains an important contributor to growth, but the company is increasingly relying on a balanced strategy that combines effective net pricing with volume expansion and affordability initiatives. Management highlighted that organic revenue growth benefited from pricing while also emphasizing investments in price-pack architecture, value offerings and portfolio innovation to support demand amid tightening consumer budgets. This shift suggests PepsiCo is prioritizing sustainable, volume-led growth rather than depending solely on price increases to drive performance.

Monster Beverage's pricing power remains an important growth lever, but it is complemented by strong category demand, innovation and disciplined revenue growth management. Management noted that pricing actions implemented in late 2025 are performing as expected, with the resilient energy drink category continuing to support volume and revenue growth. The company also continues evaluating selective pricing opportunities while balancing consumer demand, retailer response and category health.

Zacks Rundown for Coca-ColaKO shares have rallied 16.7% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s growth of 11.3%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Coca-Cola is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.11X, higher than the industry’s 19.04X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KO’s 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 8.7% and 6.8%, respectively. Earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 have been unchanged in the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

In the latest close session, Coca-Cola (KO - Free Report) was down 3.96% at $81.56. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.01%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.77%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.4%.

The world's largest beverage maker's stock has climbed by 6.97% in the past month, exceeding the Consumer Staples sector's gain of 1.62% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.32%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Coca-Cola in its upcoming release. The company plans to announce its earnings on July 28, 2026. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.92, marking a 5.75% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $13.05 billion, indicating a 4.15% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $3.26 per share and a revenue of $49.29 billion, demonstrating changes of +8.67% and +2.92%, respectively, from the preceding year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Coca-Cola. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed an unchanged state. Right now, Coca-Cola possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Coca-Cola currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 26.04. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 20.46 for its industry.

One should further note that KO currently holds a PEG ratio of 3.39. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Beverages - Soft drinks industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.24.

The Beverages - Soft drinks industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 78, this industry ranks in the top 32% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

These days, investors have valid concerns about the stock market's valuation. The ongoing artificial intelligence boom also adds fears about possible disruption. It doesn't help that the broader economy is characterized by heightened uncertainty.

This supports the view that it's time for investors to consider opportunities that generate consistent income. If this sounds like the approach you're interested in, look at Coca-Cola (KO 0.76%).

This Dividend King stock yields 2.55%, more than double the yield of the S&P 500 index, and it just raised its dividend for the 64th straight year.

Image source: Getty Images.

Showing a firm commitment to shareholders In February of this year, Coca-Cola's board of directors gave investors a reason to cheer. The business hiked its quarterly dividend payout 4% to $0.53. This is the 64th consecutive year that such a move was made. That shows an incredible commitment to the company's shareholders.

Since the start of 2010, Coca-Cola has returned almost $102 billion to investors via dividend payments. This equals 28% of the current market cap.

If a business is able to build a monster streak like this one, it's a clear sign of its consistency and staying power. Coca-Cola has stood the test of time, operating through numerous periods of uncertainty, including wars, recessions, and technology cycles, only to continue its success. Investors have every reason to be confident that this business will still be dominating the beverage market a century from now.

Coca-Cola's impressive profits also virtually eliminate the risk of the dividend being suspended. In the past decade, the company has reported an average quarterly operating margin of 26.9%. It generates sizable cash flow, giving it the financial horsepower to continue returning capital to shareholders. Not even the black swan event of the pandemic that derailed the global economy in 2020 disrupted Coca-Cola's ability to pay its dividend.

Today's Change

(

-0.76

%) $

-0.63

Current Price

$

82.45

Set the right expectations You've now decided that adding Coca-Cola to your portfolio is the right move. This is a safe stock to buy and hold. It will certainly provide valuable peace of mind.

However, it's important for investors to set the right expectations. Coca-Cola's shares are unlikely to beat the market over the long term. In the past decade, the beverage giant produced a total return of 152%, meaningfully lagging the S&P 500 index. There's no reason to believe the future will be any different.

That's because Coca-Cola is an extremely mature company. It essentially has universal adoption, as it's in more than 200 countries and territories. This naturally limits growth potential.

Don't be discouraged, though. This is a competitively advantaged, predictable, and highly stable business that dividend investors can own with confidence.

Key Takeaways Coca-Cola is making digital capabilities core pillars of its consumer engagement strategy.Connected packaging links interactive experiences with insights, purchases and retailer campaigns.Consumer data guides innovation, targeted marketing and localized campaigns across global brands. The Coca-Cola Company's (KO - Free Report) digital transformation is evolving from a marketing support tool into a core pillar of its consumer engagement strategy. In first-quarter 2026, management repeatedly emphasized that digital capabilities are helping the company become more consumer-centric by delivering greater precision in how it reaches, understands and serves consumers. Rather than relying on broad campaigns, Coca-Cola is using data, personalization and connected experiences to strengthen engagement and encourage repeat purchases.

A key element of this strategy is connected packaging. Through the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour campaign, consumers can scan Coca-Cola packages to access interactive experiences, games, music, ticket giveaways and personalized content. Beyond driving engagement, these interactions provide valuable consumer insights that help Coca-Cola tailor future campaigns and product offerings more effectively. Management believes that this creates a direct link between brand engagement and purchase behavior while strengthening retailer partnerships through transaction-focused campaigns.

Digital capabilities also complement Coca-Cola's broader "4 I's" framework of insights, innovation, intimacy and integrated execution. Consumer data is shaping product innovation, such as the launch of Coca-Cola Zero Zero in Europe after identifying that many consumers seek caffeine-free beverages during evening occasions. The company is pairing these insights with targeted packaging, pricing and marketing to improve trial and repeat purchases. Similar localized digital campaigns support Sprite, Fuze Tea and regional brands across the global markets.

Importantly, Coca-Cola is embedding digital engagement across its distribution network rather than limiting it to marketing. Management noted that digital tools are helping connect consumers, retailers and bottling partners while improving execution at scale. As Coca-Cola continues integrating personalized experiences with its extensive global reach, its digital investments could deepen consumer relationships, improve campaign effectiveness and create a stronger platform for sustained long-term engagement.

Is Digital Push Driving Growth for PEP & MNST?Digital engagement is becoming a key competitive battleground in the beverage industry, prompting investors to assess whether PepsiCo Inc. (PEP - Free Report) and Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST - Free Report) are converting technology investments into stronger consumer growth.

PepsiCo is strengthening consumer engagement by combining digital activation with major global partnerships and personalized brand experiences. The company plans to leverage its FIFA, UEFA Champions League and Formula 1 sponsorships to create incremental consumer occasions, while expanding engagement through customized communications tailored to local markets and celebrations. It is also increasing consumer interactions around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reinforcing digital and experiential marketing as key drivers of brand relevance and long-term growth.

Monster Beverage is using digital transformation primarily to strengthen its commercial and operational capabilities while supporting consumer engagement through expanding e-commerce and innovation. The company reported record monthly sales at a key online retailer in March and said that it is modernizing enterprise platforms, commercial operations and supply chains through its digital transformation initiative, including an SAP S/4HANA upgrade. These efforts aim to enhance execution, improve consumer reach and support long-term growth.

Zacks Rundown for Coca-ColaKO shares have rallied 19.4% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s growth of 12.5%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Coca-Cola is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.69X, higher than the industry’s 19.25X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KO’s 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 8.7% and 6.9%, respectively. Earnings estimates for both 2026 and 2027 have been unchanged in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Coca-Cola currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

In the latest close session, Coca-Cola (KO - Free Report) was down 1.02% at $82.55. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.81% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.27%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 1.3%.

Coming into today, shares of the world's largest beverage maker had lost 0.23% in the past month. In that same time, the Consumer Staples sector gained 3.31%, while the S&P 500 gained 1.13%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Coca-Cola in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on July 28, 2026. In that report, analysts expect Coca-Cola to post earnings of $0.92 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 5.75%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $13.05 billion, up 4.15% from the year-ago period.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $3.26 per share and a revenue of $49.33 billion, representing changes of +8.67% and +3%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Coca-Cola. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Coca-Cola currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Digging into valuation, Coca-Cola currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 25.57. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 20.33.

We can additionally observe that KO currently boasts a PEG ratio of 3.33. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Beverages - Soft drinks industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 2.17 as of yesterday's close.

The Beverages - Soft drinks industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 108, placing it within the top 44% of over 250 industries.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

Shares of Coca-Cola (KO 1.40%) have been on a tear this year, rising by nearly 20% thus far. The stock hit a new all-time high on Monday as investors continue to load up on the beverage giant.

The stock's valuation is high, and the company reports its second-quarter earnings later this month, on July 28. Is the stock a good buy before it posts its latest numbers, or has it gotten too expensive?

Image source: Getty Images.

The company's growth has been impressive, but it comes with an asterisk Coca-Cola's recent results have been encouraging, with the company's growth rate accelerating and even getting back into double digits. The improved numbers may, however, have set an elevated bar for the beverage company leading into its upcoming earnings report.

While Coca-Cola's net revenue rose by 12% during the first three months of 2026, investors also shouldn't forget that they were down 2% a year earlier. Thus, the company was going up against some soft comparables, which can sometimes paint a bit of a misleading picture as to how well the business is truly doing. However, with the second quarter of 2025 also being an underwhelming period where sales were up by just 1%, it may not be all that surprising if Coca-Cola shows another strong quarter of growth when it posts its latest numbers this month.

The trouble is that Coca-Cola is not what you'd consider to be a top growth stock, yet it has been trading like one of late.

Today's Change

(

-1.40

%) $

-1.18

Current Price

$

82.96

Coca-Cola's high valuation highlights risks for investors Coca-Cola has a fantastic business, and it generates terrific margins, but that doesn't mean that it's worth paying a big premium for. But with it trading at 26 times its trailing earnings, that's arguably what investors who buy the stock today are doing. This is even higher than the 25 times earnings that the average stock in the S&P 500 trades at.

Another downside of buying the stock at its high is that its dividend yield has fallen to just 2.5%. At that level, there are many other dividend stocks to choose from that may offer comparable yields, have more long-term growth potential, and are more reasonably valued.

There's nothing wrong with Coca-Cola as a business, but the stock is arguably far too expensive to be a good buy at its current levels. And unless the company completely blows past earnings expectations in the current quarter, I wouldn't be surprised to see the stock fall after it posts its latest numbers.

Key Takeaways Coca-Cola gained value share for the 20th straight quarter with 3% volume growth across all segments.KO is driving growth through innovation, localized marketing and expanded retail distribution.Coca-Cola's 4 I's strategy combines insights, innovation, intimacy and execution to build loyalty. The Coca-Cola Company's (KO - Free Report) brand portfolio continues to be a powerful competitive advantage. However, management believes sustained market share gains depend on combining brand equity with consumer-centric execution rather than relying on brand recognition alone. The company extended its streak of overall value share gains to 20 consecutive quarters while delivering 3% volume growth across every operating segment despite a volatile macroeconomic backdrop.

Management highlighted that the company's strategy revolves around strengthening its flagship brands through consumer insights, innovation and localized execution. Trademark Coca-Cola led the industry in North American retail sales growth, supported by innovations such as Coca-Cola Cherry Float, Diet Coke Cherry and expanded mini-can offerings. In Europe, Coca-Cola Zero Zero, featuring zero sugar, zero caffeine and zero calories, generated strong trial and repeat purchases by addressing evening consumption occasions. Sprite and Fuze Tea also posted robust volume growth through localized flavors and marketing campaigns tailored to regional preferences.

Beyond product innovation, Coca-Cola is leveraging digital capabilities and its extensive distribution network to reinforce brand relevance. In the first quarter, the system added more than 600,000 retail outlets, expanded off-shelf displays by double digits and installed over 340,000 cold drink equipment units to improve visibility and capture impulse purchases. Interactive packaging linked to major events such as the FIFA World Cup is also helping deepen consumer engagement while generating data to personalize future marketing efforts.

Management emphasized that its $32 billion brand portfolio, combined with the "4 I's" strategy of insights, innovation, intimacy and integrated execution, is helping recruit new consumers and strengthen loyalty. The company's consistent share gains suggest that Coca-Cola's brand strength remains a critical growth driver, but its continued success increasingly depends on executing locally while leveraging its unmatched global scale.

KO vs PEP & KDP on Brand Strength & Market Share GrowthCoca-Cola's sustained market share gains underscore the strength of its brands, but PepsiCo Inc. (PEP - Free Report) and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (KDP - Free Report) are also leveraging brand investments and innovation to defend and expand their positions.

PepsiCo believes brand strength remains central to sustaining market share growth, supported by investments in innovation, affordability and portfolio refreshes. In the first quarter of 2026, brands such as Gatorade, Propel, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Mountain Dew and Mug Root Beer gained value and volume share, while the company continued restaging iconic brands, expanding functional offerings and increasing consumer engagement. Management said these commercial initiatives are helping improve marketplace performance and strengthen long-term competitive positioning.

Keurig Dr Pepper continues to rely on brand strength, innovation and disciplined execution to expand market share. In the first quarter of 2026, Dr Pepper's core lineup gained share, Canada Dry benefited from successful Fruit Splash innovation, while GHOST, Bloom and Electrolit delivered strong momentum through distribution gains and consumer demand. Management also highlighted increased brand investment, precision marketing and innovation as key drivers supporting sustained growth across its beverage portfolio.

Zacks Rundown for Coca-ColaKO shares have gained 18.2% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s growth of 13.7%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Coca-Cola is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.5X, higher than the industry’s 19.44X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KO’s 2026 and 2027 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 8.7% and 6.9%, respectively. Earnings estimates for both 2026 and 2027 have been unchanged in the past 30 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Coca-Cola currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.