CFRA reiterates Buy rating on Coca-Cola stock after Q2 earnings beat

Published 22/07/2025, 18:12
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Investing.com - CFRA maintained its Buy rating and $80.00 price target on Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) following the beverage giant’s second-quarter earnings results that exceeded analyst expectations. With a market capitalization of nearly $299 billion and a consensus analyst rating of 1.62 (Strong Buy), InvestingPro data shows the stock has maintained strong institutional support.

Coca-Cola reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $0.87, up 4% from $0.84 in the year-ago period and above the consensus estimate of $0.84. The earnings beat was primarily driven by stronger-than-expected gross margins, which expanded 130 basis points to 62.4%, exceeding consensus by 90 basis points. InvestingPro analysis highlights Coca-Cola’s impressive gross profit margins of 61.07% over the last twelve months, demonstrating consistent operational efficiency.

Net sales for the quarter rose 1.4% to $12.54 billion, falling $80 million short of analyst expectations. Price/mix continued to be the key driver of sales growth, increasing 6% year-over-year, while currency headwinds have become less significant for the company.

CFRA raised its adjusted EPS estimates for Coca-Cola to $3.04 from $3.00 for 2025 and to $3.20 from $3.15 for 2026. The firm maintained its 12-month price target of $80, based on a 2026 price-to-earnings multiple of 25x, which represents a slight premium to Coca-Cola’s historical average.

The research firm cited Coca-Cola’s global brand value, diminishing currency impacts, and S&P Dividend Aristocrat status as factors supporting its continued earnings growth despite market headwinds facing most soft drinks and packaged food companies.

In other recent news, Coca-Cola Co . reported its second-quarter earnings for 2025, surpassing analyst expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.87, compared to the forecast of $0.83. Despite this positive earnings surprise, the company recorded actual revenue of $12.5 billion, slightly below the anticipated $12.55 billion. The company’s financial performance was marked by a 5% growth in organic revenue, although unit cases declined by 1%. These recent developments highlight Coca-Cola’s ability to exceed earnings projections, even as revenue fell slightly short of expectations.

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