CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.03 EPS

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03, Zacks reports. CocaCola had a return on equity of 39.38% and a net margin of 28.56%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.82 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from CocaCola’s conference call:

• Coca-Cola reported a strong third quarter, with 5% unit case growth, 7% organic revenue growth, and 11% comparable EPS growth. Comparable gross and operating margins expanded, while the company said it gained value share for the 22nd consecutive quarter.
• Management raised its full-year 2026 outlook, now expecting at least 5% organic revenue growth, 11% comparable EPS growth, and $13 billion in free cash flow. The company cited strong underlying performance, working-capital improvements, and a strengthened balance sheet.
• Growth is increasingly reliant on affordability initiatives, zero-sugar offerings, digital execution, and local market activation as consumers remain value-conscious. Pricing contributed four points, but unfavorable mix reduced price-mix growth to just 1%, while logistics and transportation costs are adding pressure.
• Coca-Cola expects the planned refranchising of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa to create an 8-point comparable revenue headwind and a 2-point EPS headwind in 2027, despite anticipated margin and return-profile benefits. Management also expects slight currency headwinds next year and acknowledged ongoing consumer and restaurant-industry weakness in several markets.

CocaCola Price Performance

Shares of CocaCola stock traded up $0.08 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $92.78. The stock had a trading volume of 3,195,796 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,856,510. The business’s 50-day moving average is $89.11 and its 200 day moving average is $81.49. The firm has a market cap of $399.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.79, a P/E/G ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.32. 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 has a 12 month low of $67.27 and a 12 month high of $95.37.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. CocaCola’s payout ratio is currently 63.66%.

Key CocaCola News

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings and revenue beat expectations: Coca-Cola reported adjusted EPS of $0.91, above the $0.88 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 7.2% year over year. Higher product volumes and pricing helped drive the stronger results. Coca-Cola Raises Outlook as Increased Volumes, Prices Boost Results
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year outlook raised: Management now expects comparable EPS growth of at least 11% in 2026, up from its prior forecast of 9% to 10%. The increase reflects resilient demand for zero-sugar sodas, premium beverages and other products. KO Stock Rises as Coca-Cola Raises 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum extends beyond core soda: Analysts and investors are highlighting volume growth, premium drinks and sports beverages such as Powerade, with major marketing opportunities including the FIFA World Cup potentially supporting demand. Coca-Cola’s Sports Beverage Portfolio
• Neutral Sentiment: Defensive appeal remains strong: KO is a Dividend King with more than five decades of payout increases, and its low beta may continue attracting investors seeking stability. However, its roughly 2.2% yield is substantially below PepsiCo’s approximately 4.3% yield. Coca-Cola Versus PepsiCo Dividend Yield
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation raises the bar: After a roughly 30%-plus rally and a new all-time high, KO trades at an elevated valuation, with a P/E near 28 and a PEG ratio above 3.6. Investors may be vulnerable to a pullback if upcoming results fail to sustain the upgraded growth expectations.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane raised their target price on CocaCola from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of CocaCola from a “buy (a+)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a report on Friday. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. CICC Research lifted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on CocaCola from $86.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $96.59.

Insider Activity at CocaCola

In other CocaCola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total transaction of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,186,798.70. This trade represents a 18.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Chairman James Quincey sold 145,947 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.09, for a total value of $13,148,365.23. Following the sale, the chairman owned 122,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,066,024.97. This trade represents a 54.30% 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. Insiders have sold 469,753 shares of company stock worth $41,968,942 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

CocaCola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1886, it is best known for Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized soft drink brands.

The company owns, licenses, and markets a broad portfolio of beverages, including sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and energy drinks. Its brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, fairlife, and Costa Coffee, among others.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.