Based on the aggregated intelligence of 165,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, soft-drink behemoth Coca-Cola
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Coca-Cola and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Coca-Cola facts
Headquarters (founded) |
Atlanta (1886) |
Market Cap |
$132.4 billion |
Industry |
Soft drinks |
Trailing-12-Month Revenue |
$31.75 billion |
Management |
CEO Muhtar Kent (since 2008) CFO Gary Fayard (since 1999) |
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) |
28.4% |
Cash/Debt |
$10.2 billion |
Dividend Yield |
3.1% |
Competitors |
PepsiCo
Dr Pepper Snapple Group |
Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 95% of the 5,551 members who have rated Coca-Cola believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Star IsleGirl2010, who is ranked in the top 2% of our community, and AlphaCenturion.
Two months ago, IsleGirl2010 tapped the stock as a refreshingly safe selection:
Coke will always be around. It is just a brilliant marketing company. It may not have crazy growth but it's a keeper unless the world decides to stop drinking soda.
While Coca-Cola represents the earth's most simple and stable business, it is actually a time of great change for the beverage behemoth. After main rival PepsiCo took control of its two anchor bottlers in 2009, Coca-Cola responded by purchasing the North American operations of Coca-Cola Enterprises
CAPS member AlphaCenturion sums up the bulls case:
One of the few times I will upthumb a stock based on the story rather than technicals or fundamentals. If the economy doesn't improve soon I think you'll see a "flight to quality" in equities and high-yielding blue chips are a great way to protect your money. The premium I don't think is entirely unjustified either since we're still talking about Coca-Cola after all. They're a global brand likely to be around for many, many years and they will almost certainly benefit from the growing demand in emerging markets.
What do you think about Coca-Cola, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!