CocaCola (NYSE:KO) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.02 EPS

CocaCola (NYSE:KO) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02, Briefing.com reports. CocaCola had a return on equity of 41.31% and a net margin of 27.34%.The firm had revenue of $11.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.55 earnings per share. CocaCola’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. CocaCola updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.210-3.240 EPS.

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

• Smooth leadership transition: James Quincey moves to Executive Chair and Enrique Braun becomes CEO with management framing the handover as seamless and confidence in Enrique’s ability to drive the next chapter of growth.
• 2026 guidance — the company expects organic revenue growth of 4–5%, comparable EPS growth of 7–8% (from $3 in 2025), and about $12.2B in free cash flow while continuing to invest behind brands and volume priorities.
• 2025 financial momentum — Coca‑Cola delivered comparable operating margin expansion, reached $3 comparable EPS for 2025, and achieved a 93% adjusted free cash flow conversion, supporting dividends and optionality.
• Uneven volume trends and market headwinds: North America performed strongly (around 30% operating margin), but China and India showed softness and Mexico faces a new excise tax that is expected to pressure 2026 volume.
• Capital allocation, FX and divestitures: management remains committed to growing the dividend and being opportunistic on M&A/repurchases, expects a ~1pt revenue / ~3pt EPS FX tailwind in 2026, but flags an approximate 4‑point revenue headwind from the planned Coca‑Cola Beverages Africa sale and lost equity income from refranchising.

CocaCola Stock Up 2.0%

NYSE:KO traded up $1.60 on Thursday, hitting $80.20. 7,177,354 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 19,502,490. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. CocaCola has a 1 year low of $65.35 and a 1 year high of $80.29. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $71.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.95. The company has a market cap of $344.98 billion, a PE ratio of 26.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 0.36.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on KO. Truist Financial set a $85.00 price target on CocaCola in a report on Wednesday. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of CocaCola in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of CocaCola from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $87.00 price objective on shares of CocaCola in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of CocaCola from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CocaCola currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.65.

Key Stories Impacting CocaCola

Here are the key news stories impacting CocaCola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $87 and reiterated a Buy, citing stability in Coca‑Cola’s core business and resilience after the quarter. UBS sees stability in the Coca‑Cola Company’s core business, raises PT to $87
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan boosted its target to $83 and moved to an “overweight” rating — another follow‑up from analysts trimming concerns and backing the stock after results. Benzinga JPMorgan PT raise
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional accumulation and positive analyst commentary (MarketBeat) are supporting the share base; MarketBeat highlights buybacks, dividend coverage and forecasts for above‑trend cash‑flow recovery in 2026. No Rally? Coca‑Cola’s Results Still Look Like a Sweet Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 highlights were mixed: adjusted EPS beat (reported $0.58 vs. $0.56 est.), organic growth and pricing strength, but revenue missed consensus ($11.8B vs. ~$12.0B) and management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance (3.210–3.240) that some view as cautious. KO Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: The incoming CEO is signaling faster innovation to capture low‑sugar and weight‑loss consumer trends — a strategic positive over the medium term but not an immediate earnings lever. Incoming CEO seeks faster innovation
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction earlier showed a pullback after the sales miss — coverage notes the stock’s recent run leaves valuation stretched vs. peers (some analysts and articles calling it “priced to perfection”), which could limit upside if growth disappoints. Coca‑Cola Is Priced To Perfection
• Negative Sentiment: Several news pieces highlighted the revenue miss and a slightly softer underlying growth guide — the near‑term risk is multiple compression if top‑line momentum slows. MarketWatch: Coca‑Cola’s stock falls after a rare sales miss

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO James Quincey sold 337,824 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.10, for a total transaction of $26,046,230.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 342,546 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,410,296.60. This represents a 49.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Manuel Arroyo sold 139,689 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.80, for a total transaction of $9,889,981.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 58,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,111,143.60. This represents a 70.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 509,138 shares of company stock valued at $38,186,963 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CocaCola

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KO. Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in CocaCola by 114.0% during the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 3,091,701 shares of the company’s stock worth $205,042,000 after purchasing an additional 1,646,976 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in CocaCola by 0.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 165,858,003 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,083,296,000 after buying an additional 923,278 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its stake in CocaCola by 4.3% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 12,354,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $874,073,000 after buying an additional 509,724 shares during the last quarter. Advocacy Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in CocaCola during the third quarter worth about $25,572,000. Finally, Boston Partners increased its holdings in shares of CocaCola by 4.2% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 9,361,545 shares of the company’s stock worth $620,763,000 after buying an additional 376,201 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

About CocaCola

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.