Coca-Cola (KO) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors

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In the latest market close, Coca-Cola (KO) reached $61.53, with a -0.4% movement compared to the previous day. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.53%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.93%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.22%.

The world's largest beverage maker's stock has dropped by 1.69% in the past month, exceeding the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 3.04% and lagging the S&P 500's gain of 2.69%.

The upcoming earnings release of Coca-Cola will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on February 11, 2025. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $0.52, reflecting a 6.12% increase from the same quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $10.71 billion, down 1.3% from the year-ago period.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Coca-Cola should also be noted by investors. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the company's business performance and profit potential.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.28% upward. Coca-Cola presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Coca-Cola has a Forward P/E ratio of 20.84 right now. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 17.62, which means Coca-Cola is trading at a premium to the group.

It's also important to note that KO currently trades at a PEG ratio of 3.38. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. As the market closed yesterday, the Beverages - Soft drinks industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.25.

The Beverages - Soft drinks industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 172, positioning it in the bottom 32% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.

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CocaCola Company (The) (KO) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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