What companies could Coca-Cola buy in the future?
Coca-Cola is likely to continue to make acquisitions in the future as the beverage industry evolves and the company adjusts its portfolio to give it the best chance of maximizing shareholder value.
Almost any beverage company seems to be fair game for Coca-Cola to buy since the company's acquisitions have run the gamut from a coffee chain to energy drinks, sports drinks, seltzer, water, juice, and others.
One potential prospect is the Vita Coco Beverage Company (COCO +2.62%), the leading maker of coconut water. Coca-Cola acquired Zico coconut water about a decade ago but ended up selling it to a private equity firm. Coconut water also remains one of the fastest-growing beverage categories.
We could also see Coca-Cola pursue an international brand or a category that it doesn't yet have in its portfolio, as it did with milk or Costa Coffee. There's also the potential for a new beverage category, like kombucha, to gain a following and break into Coca-Cola's portfolio. Rival Pepsi just acquired Poppi, a maker of prebiotic soda, and Coca-Cola could buy another brand like Olipop.
It's possible that Coke could break tradition and make an acquisition outside of traditional beverages, but it's unlikely. In the 1980s, the company acquired several entertainment assets but sold off most of them by the end of the decade. An acquisition in the food industry could also happen, but Coke has avoided categories that historically have been outside its core competency.