COKE vs KO Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Coca-Cola Consolidated and The Coca-Cola Company represent two very different parts of the same beverage value chain: Coca-Cola Consolidated is a capital-intensive franchise bottler responsible for manufacturing and distributing Coca-Cola products within a defined US territory, while The Coca-Cola Company is the asset-light global brand owner and concentrate producer that licenses its brands to bottlers worldwide.
The Coca-Cola Company offers exposure to a high-margin, asset-light global brand business with a long dividend growth history, while Coca-Cola Consolidated offers exposure to the capital-intensive bottling and distribution side of the business within a specific US territory. Consider whether you prefer the brand owner's asset-light economics or the bottler's direct operational leverage within its territory.
COKE and KO are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. COKE leads on both 1-year return (+61.56%) and forward P/E quality (5.01x vs 25.43x for KO), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. On fundamentals, COKE is growing revenue faster (8.30%), while KO maintains the higher operating margin (34.87%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split.
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to the bottling and distribution side of the Coca-Cola value chain within a defined US territory
- Believe the largest US Coca-Cola bottler's scale advantages support long-term operational efficiency
- Are comfortable with the capital intensity and input cost sensitivity inherent to bottling operations
- Value direct operational control over local pricing and distribution execution
- Want exposure to a high-margin, asset-light global brand and concentrate business
- Value The Coca-Cola Company's long-standing history as a dividend aristocrat with reliable income growth
- Believe one of the world's most valuable brand portfolios provides durable global pricing power
- Prefer the brand owner's asset-light economics over the bottler's capital-intensive operations
| Metric | COKE | KO |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 49.2 | 51.7 |
| AI ranki | #557 | #425 |
| Latest closei | $189.33 | $88.07 |
| 1M returni | +2.48% | +1.43% |
| 6M returni | -7.01% | +14.33% |
| 1Y returni | +61.56% | +27.66% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | COKE | KO |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $15.87K (+58.7%) started 2025-09-04 | $12.9K (+29.0%) started 2025-09-04 |
| 5Y ago | $48.11K (+381.1%) started 2021-09-07 | $19.95K (+99.5%) started 2021-09-07 |
| 10Y ago | $123.17K (+1131.7%) started 2016-09-06 | $36.47K (+264.7%) started 2016-09-06 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | COKE | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $13B | $385.77B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 25.62 | 26.92 |
| Forward P/Ei | 5.01 | 25.43 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | 6.55 |
| EV/Revenuei | 0.38 | 8.29 |
| Analyst targeti | N/A | $94.70 |
| Target upsidei | N/A | +5.62% |
| Metric | COKE | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 8.30% | 6.70% |
| Earnings growthi | 265.80% | 16.90% |
| EPS growthi | +265.80% | +16.90% |
| FCF margini | +5.77% | +10.41% |
| Operating margini | 7.42% | 34.87% |
| Profit margini | 7.15% | 28.56% |
| ROIC proxyi | 97.33% | 42.05% |
| Return on equityi | 97.33% | 42.05% |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.52% | 2.36% |
| Betai | 0.55 | 0.34 |
| Debt/equityi | 197.91 | 115.52 |
| Current ratioi | 1.21 | 1.30 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.83 | 0.80 |
Over the past year, COKE and KO have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.42), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | COKE | KO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +58.69% | +29.04% |
| CAGRi | +58.79% | +29.09% | |
| Volatilityi | 36.32% | 18.80% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.33 | 1.21 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.82 | 2.00 | |
| Max drawdowni | 24.66% | 8.50% | |
| Current drawdowni | 12.71% | 4.26% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 8.39% | 2.82% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 10.72% | 3.59% | |
| Max daily dropi | 15.63% | 3.96% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 21.63% | 5.54% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +381.08% | +77.11% |
| CAGRi | +36.99% | +12.13% | |
| Volatilityi | 37.94% | 16.72% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.91 | 0.50 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.32 | 0.73 | |
| Max drawdowni | 35.55% | 17.27% | |
| Current drawdowni | 12.71% | 4.26% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 11.42% | 4.74% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 14.24% | 6.07% | |
| Max daily dropi | 23.47% | 6.96% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 22.61% | 7.43% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +1131.65% | +165.35% |
| CAGRi | +28.57% | +10.26% | |
| Volatilityi | 37.28% | 18.47% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.74 | 0.38 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.08 | 0.53 | |
| Max drawdowni | 51.84% | 36.99% | |
| Current drawdowni | 12.71% | 4.26% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 16.67% | 5.62% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 21.06% | 7.87% | |
| Max daily dropi | 23.47% | 9.67% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 28.24% | 20.98% |
| Category | COKE | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive | Consumer Defensive |
| Industry | Beverages - Non-Alcoholic | Beverages - Non-Alcoholic |
| Core business | The largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, responsible for manufacturing, distributing, and marketing Coca-Cola branded beverages across a defined territory, operating under a franchise agreement with The Coca-Cola Company. | A global beverage company that owns and markets one of the world's most valuable brand portfolios, including Coca-Cola, and operates primarily as a brand owner and concentrate producer, licensing bottling and distribution to franchise partners worldwide. |
| Investor focus | Local market volume and pricing trends, operating margin management amid input cost fluctuations, and capital expenditure efficiency in bottling and distribution infrastructure. | Global brand volume growth, pricing power and marketing investment effectiveness, and dividend growth sustainability as a long-standing dividend aristocrat. |
- Largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, providing scale advantages within its defined distribution territory
- Franchise agreement with The Coca-Cola Company provides access to globally recognized, well-established brands
- Direct control over local pricing and distribution execution allows operational responsiveness within its territory
- Asset-light brand and concentrate business model generates high margins without the capital intensity of bottling operations
- One of the world's most valuable and widely recognized brand portfolios, providing durable global pricing power
- Long-standing history as a dividend aristocrat, providing a reliable and growing income stream for shareholders
- Bottling operations are capital-intensive, requiring ongoing investment in manufacturing and distribution infrastructure
- Profitability is sensitive to input costs such as aluminum, sugar, and transportation, which can pressure margins
- Revenue is dependent on the continued strength and marketing investment of The Coca-Cola Company's brand portfolio
- Growth is more mature and gradual than earlier in the company's history, given its already-massive global scale
- Faces ongoing shifts in consumer preferences away from sugary carbonated beverages toward healthier alternatives
- Global operations expose results to currency translation effects across many international markets
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