Why Coca-Cola Stock Climbed to an All-Time High Today
Key Points
Coca-Cola's marketing expertise is paying dividends for investors.
Management lifted its full-year earnings forecast.
- 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola ›
Shares of Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) rose to record highs on Tuesday after the beverage titan said the World Cup boosted its sales and profits.
Image source: Getty Images.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
A well-planned advertising strategy fueled Coca-Cola's gains
Coca-Cola's net revenue rose 7% year over year to $13.4 billion in the second quarter.
The soda king credited its global marketing campaign for the World Cup with helping to drive volumes of its trademark Coca-Cola and Powerade sports drink up by 5% and 8%, respectively. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar was a particularly strong performer, with volumes up 16%.
"We had, during the World Cup, really a great opportunity for us to shine our brands," CEO Henrique Braun said during an interview with CNBC. "During the hydration breaks, Powerade was there."
Coca-Cola's operating income increased 9% to $4.7 billion, as its operating margin improved to 34.9% from 34.1% in the year-ago quarter.
All told, the beverage leader's adjusted earnings jumped 11% to $0.97 per share. That exceeded Wall Street's estimates, which had called for per-share profits of $0.93.
Raised guidance
These solid results prompted Coca-Cola to lift its full-year outlook. Management now projects organic revenue growth of roughly 5% and adjusted earnings-per-share growth of 9% to 10% in 2026.
During a conference call with analysts, Braun acknowledged that consumers are facing challenges related to ongoing inflation. Yet many still choose to purchase Coca-Cola products, which have become affordable luxuries in the current economic environment.
Should you buy stock in Coca-Cola right now?
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 $379,662!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,206,116!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 886% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% 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 July 28, 2026.
Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
