Is Coca-Cola Stock Still a Buy After Earnings?
Coca-Cola stock is higher Tuesday after Warren Buffett's favorite soft drink maker beat expectations for its fourth quarter. Here's what you need to know.


Coca-Cola (KO) stock is higher early Tuesday after the soda pop maker beat top- and bottom-line expectations for its fourth quarter and provided a strong outlook for 2025.
In the three months ending December 31, Coca-Cola's net revenue increased 6% year over year to $11.5 billion. Organic revenue, which excludes the impact of currency changes, increased 14%. Meanwhile, the company said earnings per share (EPS) rose 12% from the year-ago period to 55 cents.
"Our all-weather strategy is working, and we continue to demonstrate our ability to lead through dynamic external environments," said Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey in a statement.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Quincey added that Coca-Cola's global scale and local-market expertise as well as "the unwavering dedication of our people and our system" put it in position "to capture the vast opportunities ahead."
The results topped analysts' expectations. Wall Street was anticipating revenue of $10.7 billion and earnings of 52 cents per share, according to CNBC.
In the first quarter, Coca-Cola said it expects to achieve net revenue growth in the range of 3% to 4% and EPS growth of 4% to 6%. For 2025, the company anticipates net revenue growth of 3% to 4%, organic revenue growth of 5% to 6% and earnings per share growth of 2% to 3%.
Is Coca-Cola stock a buy, sell or hold?
Coca-Cola has generated a double-digit total return of nearly 12% over the last 12 months, trailing the S&P 500's gain of more than 22%. But Wall Street is bullish on the Dow Jones stock.
According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the average analyst target price for KO stock is $71.71, representing implied upside of more than 6% to current levels. And the consensus recommendation is a Buy.
Financial service firm Jefferies is one of the more bullish outfits on the Warren Buffett stock with a Buy rating and $75 price target.
"The market has aggressively sold off consumer staples since the election," Jefferies analyst Kaumil Gajrawala wrote in a January 30 note, adding that Coca-Cola shares were off about 15% from its highs and were trading at just 20 times earnings estimates for 2026.
"As we look for the most underpriced high-quality asset in this sell-off," Gajrawala wrote, "we think it is this business."
Related Content
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Joey Solitro is a freelance financial journalist at Kiplinger with more than a decade of experience. A longtime equity analyst, Joey has covered a range of industries for media outlets including The Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Market Realist, and TipRanks. Joey holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.
-
Trump Targets Student Loan Forgiveness: Here’s How Taxes and Repayment Could Soon Change
Student Loans The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill and the Trump administration’s executive action are making the future of student loan forgiveness and its tax consequences uncertain.
-
California, South Florida, Long Island, New Jersey: The Places People Are Leaving in Droves in 2025
Skyrocketing costs and shifting priorities mean people are packing up and leaving some cities and states in droves, while others are flocking to more affordable or lifestyle-friendly destinations.
-
Should You Start a 'Trump Account' for Your Child?
"Trump Accounts" for kids is part of the One Big, Beautiful Bill that was just signed. Look at if it's worth it for your children.
-
I'm a Financial Strategist: This Is the Investment Trap That Keeps Smart Investors on the Sidelines
Forget FOMO. FOGI — Fear of Getting In — is the feeling you need to learn how to manage so you don't miss out on future investment gains.
-
Can You Be a Good Parent to an Only Child When You're Also a Business Owner?
Author and social psychologist Susan Newman offers advice to business-owner parents on how to raise a well-adjusted single child by avoiding overcompensation and encouraging chores.
-
How Advisers Can Steer Their Clients Through Market Volatility (and Strengthen Their Relationships)
Financial advisers need to be strategic when they communicate with clients during market volatility. The goal is to not only reassure them but to also help them avoid rash decisions, deepen your relationship with them and build lasting trust.
-
Stock Market Today: President Trump Reboots the Tariff Trade
A broad consensus that markets hate uncertainty more than anything else is being tested on an almost daily basis in 2025.
-
The 60-40 Portfolio Rule of Investing: Not Dead Yet?
Adding alternative investments to a balanced portfolio can smooth out returns.
-
The Hidden Costs of Caregiving: Crisis Goes Well Beyond Financial Issues
Many caregivers are drained emotionally as well as financially, leading to depression, burnout and depleted retirement prospects. What's to be done?
-
Cash Balance Plans: An Expert Guide to the High Earner's Secret Weapon for Retirement
Cash balance plans offer business owners and high-income professionals a powerful way to significantly boost retirement savings and reduce taxes.