Evercore ISI raises Coca-Cola stock price target to $82 on strong Q3

Investing.com - Evercore ISI has raised its price target on Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) to $82.00 from $78.00 while maintaining an Outperform rating following the beverage giant’s third-quarter performance. The company, currently trading at $71.1 with a market capitalization of $306 billion, maintains impressive gross profit margins of 61.4% and offers a dividend yield of 3%.

The company delivered stronger-than-expected third-quarter results despite earlier concerns stemming from management’s cautious commentary in early September and widespread macroeconomic pressures. Coca-Cola noted during its earnings call that trends improved in September compared to earlier in the quarter, helping drive unit case volume growth of 1%. According to InvestingPro analysis, Coca-Cola appears slightly overvalued at current levels, though it maintains a strong financial health score and shows consistently low price volatility. InvestingPro subscribers have access to 13 additional key insights about Coca-Cola’s financial position.

Evercore ISI highlighted Coca-Cola’s organic sales growth of 4-5%, positioning it as a leader among large-cap consumer staples companies. The firm also noted a more neutral stance on Coca-Cola’s legal case following an October 1 ruling related to 3M, which it views as a positive development.

The research firm had previously estimated that if Coca-Cola did not prevail in its appeal, the company would face a tax rate increase of 350 basis points, representing approximately a $0.14 or 4.5% headwind to earnings per share, along with an additional $12 billion liability payment.

Coca-Cola also announced an agreement with the Gutsche Family to sell a 75% controlling interest in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) to Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCH), a move Evercore believes will reduce foreign exchange exposure and shift the company toward a more asset-light business model.

In other recent news, Coca-Cola Co . reported its third-quarter 2025 earnings, surpassing analyst expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.82, compared to the forecasted $0.78. The company also exceeded revenue projections, reporting $12.5 billion against a forecast of $12.41 billion. These results reflect a 5.13% surprise in earnings, highlighting Coca-Cola’s strong performance this quarter. Despite the positive earnings report, the stock’s pre-market trading movement is not mentioned here, focusing instead on the financial results. These developments are part of Coca-Cola’s ongoing financial reporting, providing investors with crucial information on the company’s performance. Analyst expectations were surpassed, indicating a positive reception from financial experts. The earnings beat suggests a strong quarter for Coca-Cola, which may influence future analyst projections.

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