Coca-Cola is a global beverage giant with an attractive yield and reasonable valuation.
Procter & Gamble is a global consumer products giant with an attractive yield and a reasonable valuation.
Coca-Cola and P&G are both Dividend Kings.
The S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has a tiny 1.1% dividend yield. Coca-Cola's (NYSE: KO) yield is 2.6% and Procter & Gamble's (NYSE: PG) yield is 2.7%. The big story, however, is that Coca-Cola and P&G are both Dividend Kings, with over 50 years' worth of annual dividend increases behind each one. Here's why now could be a good time to buy one, or both, of them.
Coca-Cola makes beverages, such as soda. Procter & Gamble makes consumer products such as deodorant, toilet paper, and toothpaste. You aren't going to stop buying the things these companies sell because of geopolitical conflicts or economic downturns. They are life necessities. This fact provides a very solid business foundation for both of these Dividend Kings.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
That said, both are industry leaders in their respective niches, offering higher-end products. However, because the products are relatively low-cost, they are often viewed as affordable luxuries and have very loyal customer bases. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola and P&G both have strong distribution, marketing, and innovation abilities that should help to keep them growing for years to come. That, in turn, should keep their dividends expanding, too.
The fact that Coca-Cola and P&G are industry-leading consumer staples businesses is very well known on Wall Street. In fact, they rank among the largest consumer staples companies in the world, according to Motley Fool research. But you can buy them both for a reasonable price today.
Coca-Cola's price-to-earnings ratio is 25x right now, which is a touch below its five-year average P/E of 26x. P&G's P/E ratio is just under 23x, which is below its five-year average P/E of 25x or so. Neither is a screaming value, but both look at least fairly priced, if not a little cheap. A $1,000 investment will let you buy 12 shares of Coca-Cola or six shares of P&G.
Given their seemingly unstoppable dividend growth, well-above-market yields, attractive valuations, and strong business foundations, even the most conservative investor should find Coca-Cola and P&G of interest amid rising uncertainty. And if there is a recession and/or bear market, you can focus on the dividends you are collecting instead of stock prices. That way, you can sleep well at night as you wait for the market to resume its steady, long-term upward climb again. Just like it has done after every other recession and bear market before.
Before you buy stock in Coca-Cola, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Coca-Cola wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $530,233!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,119,682!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 955% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 191% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 11, 2026.
Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in Procter & Gamble. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.