Mail

KO - The Coca-Cola Company

NYSE - NYSE Delayed Price. Currency in USD

45.53

-0.03 (-0.07%)

At close: 4:00PM EDT

45.53 0.00 (0.00%)
After hours: 5:12PM EDT

Stock chart is not supported by your current browser

Previous Close	45.56
Open	45.40
Bid	45.45 x 4000
Ask	45.46 x 900
Day's Range	45.18 - 45.90
52 Week Range	41.45 - 50.84
Volume	13,186,564
Avg. Volume	17,472,913

Market Cap	194.648B
Beta (3Y Monthly)	0.37
PE Ratio (TTM)	30.35
EPS (TTM)	1.50
Earnings Date	Apr 23, 2019
Forward Dividend & Yield	1.60 (3.51%)
Ex-Dividend Date	2019-03-14
1y Target Est	50.00

Trade prices are not sourced from all markets

All

News

Press Releases

Market Realist1 hour ago
Monster Beverage Stock Falls as Goldman Sachs Lowers Its Rating
Monster Beverage Stock Falls as Goldman Sachs Lowers Its RatingStock falls on rating downgradeMonster Beverage (MNST) stock fell 2.5% on March 20 after Goldman Sachs downgraded its rating for the energy drink maker to a “hold” from a “buy.”
TheStreet.com6 hours ago
Monster Beverage Slips on Goldman Downgrade to Neutral
shares were down Wednesday after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to neutral from buy and removed it from its Americas Conviction List. Goldman analysts also lowered the security's price target to $59 from $67, citing a meaningful deceleration in U.S sales that will more than offset the company's strong international growth. as it touts plans to release three energy drinks into Monster's territory.
Morningstar11 hours ago
5 High-Quality, High-Yielding Stocks
Earlier this week , we looked at the top 10 dividend-yielding stocks among our Ultimate Stock Pickers, a collection of managers whose stock-picking prowess we admire. A subset of the Morningstar US Market Index (which represents 97% of equity market capitalization), this index tracks the top 75 high-yielding stocks that meet our screening requirements for quality and financial health. How are the index constituents chosen?
MarketWatch12 hours ago
Three consumer-staples stocks to sell — and three to buy in their place
There is a lot to be said for a buy-and-hold strategy. Some investors foolishly believe that if you simply buy a stable consumer stock, you’re guaranteed gains if you’re patient enough. Not only does this not take into account the profits left on the table from underperformance, it also ignores the notion that some stocks do indeed go down — even if they are theoretically low-risk staples stocks.
GuruFocus.comyesterday
Tamra Doubles Sales and Earnings in 6 Years
Norway-based Tomra Systems ASA (TMRAF)(TMRAY) is the largest manufacturer of reverse vending machines in the world. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with TMRAF. The stock trades for 244.50 krone ($28.67), there are 147.74 million shares and the market cap is 36.1 billion krone ($4.185 billion).
Market Realistyesterday
STNE Stands Out in Berkshire Hathaway’s Portfolio
STNE Stands Out in Berkshire Hathaway’s PortfolioStoneCoStoneCo (STNE) had risen 22.0% today as of 11:10 AM Eastern Time. The company released its earnings yesterday and crushed analysts’ estimates. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) is StoneCo’s
Zacksyesterday
Basket These 5 ETFs to Tap March Madness
These ETFs are expected to benefit from the March Madness and the huge revenue generation scope for media, advertisers as well as casinos.
Investopediayesterday
Top 5 Companies Owned By Pepsi
PepsiCo is the maker of several of the world's top soda brands, but Pepsi also owns stakes in many other businesses as well. Discover the top companies that have propelled the growth of PepsiCo during the last twenty years.
InvestorPlace2 days ago
5 Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Consider
Editor's Note: This article was previously published in January 2019. It has been updated and republished.I recently attended a meeting of startup founders who pitched their companies. Interestingly enough, many of them touted artificial intelligence.Yes, this technology has quickly become red hot. After all, the market opportunity is massive. Gartner estimates that spending will grow at an average compound annual rate of 18% to $383.5 billion by 2020.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsYet AI is not easy to develop. There needs to be access to huge amounts of data, so as to find patterns. What's more, AI requires top-notch data scientists. As should be no surprise, this kind of talent is in short supply nowadays.Because of all this, when it comes to finding artificial intelligence stocks, they are usually larger companies. * 7 Small-Cap Stocks That Make the Grade OK then, which names are positioned to benefit? Well, let's take a look at five that stand out:Source: Shutterstock Alphabet (GOOG)Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, refers to the company as "AI first." And this is certainly not hype. AI has become pervasive across the product line, such as with Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Photos, Google Cloud and so on. The company has also developed its own assistant, which connects with more than 5,000 devices in the home.Google has been creating industry standards for AI as well, primarily through its own language called TensorFlow. Just some of the companies that use it include Uber, eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) and Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO).Something else: Google is a top player in autonomous vehicles. The company's Waymo unit could be worth as much as $175 billion, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley.Finally, the valuation of GOOG stock is at reasonable levels, with the forward price-to-earnings ratio is 27X, which is in-line with other mega tech operators like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). This puts it at the top of the heap among artificial intelligence stocks.Source: Nvidia Nvidia (NVDA)Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is the pioneer of GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), which are chips that process large amounts of data cost-effectively. The technology was initially focused on the gaming market.But NVDA realized that GPUs were also ideal for AI. To this end, the company has leveraged these systems into areas like datacenters and autonomous vehicles.No doubt, it has been a very good move. Consider that NVDA has been on a strong growth ramp before flattening a bit at the end of its fiscal year. In the latest quarter, revenues dropped by 24% to $2.21 billion year over year, but finished the year up with 21% growth to $11.72 billion.It's true that the valuation of NVDA stock is far from cheap, with the forward price-to-earnings ratio at 24x. But then again, a premium is to be expected for a company that is a leader in a massive industry. * 15 Stocks That May Be Hurt by This Year's Big IPOs For example, earlier this year Evercore ISI analyst C.J. Muse boosted the price target on NVDA stock to $400, which implies 41% upside. In his report, he noted that the company's technology is "becoming the standard AI platform."Source: Shutterstock IBM (IBM)AI is nothing new for IBM (NYSE:IBM). The company has been developing this type of technology for many years. For example, back in 1985, it developed its AI computer called Deep Blue. It would actually beat chess world champion Garry Kasparov in 1996. Then in 2011, IBM created Watson to take on the best players on the quiz show Jeopardy!. The computer won.Now, IBM has definitely had its troubles. But the investments in AI and other cutting-edge technologies have been making a difference. Note that during the trailing 12 months, IBM's Strategic Imperatives, which include cloud computing, security, analytics, Big Data and mobile, generated $39 billion, or about 48% of total revenues. This has helped improve the growth rate of the overall business.IBM stock also has an attractive dividend, which is at 4.49%. This is one of the highest in the tech industry. Oh, and the valuation is reasonable as well. Consider that the forward price-to-earnings ratio is only 9.88x.Source: Shutterstock Yext (YEXT)Yext (NYSE:YEXT) has been among the most exciting Artificial Intelligence stocks. The reason: the company is a top data provider, with integrations of over 150 services from operators like Google, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Tencent (OTCMKTS:TCEHY). Yext has also added context and intent to all this, which allows for more accurate real-time searches.On the latest earnings call, CEO Howard Lerman noted: "Today, we manage more than 185 million facts about our customers in our platform, providing brand-verified answers in services like Google, Siri, Alexa and WeChat to consumers looking for information verified by the source of truth.." * 7 Winning High-Yield Dividend Stocks With Payouts Over 5% Growth has been strong. In the latest quarter, revenues shot up by 33% to $63.8 million. The company has also been getting much traction with enterprise customers. Note that the quarter saw nearly 130 new logos.Source: Simone.Brunozzi Via Flickr Baidu (BIDU)When it comes to the search business, Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) remains the king in China. Over the years, the company has transitioned to mobile, which has been critical. But BIDU has also invested heavily in becoming one of the serious artificial intelligence stocks. This has helped with personalizing the search experience as well as improving the impact of online ads.But AI has done more than just bolster BIDU's own platform. The company has created several platforms for third parties. One is DuerOS, which has an installed base of 100 million devices and processes over 400 million queries a month. Then there is Apollo. It is an AI system for autonomous vehicles. Recently, BIDU used this with King Long Motors to launch the first fully self-driving L4 minibus.The AI efforts have been paying off. In the latest quarter, revenues jumped by 27% to $4.1 billion and the adjusted EBITDA came to $988 million -- or about 24% of total revenues. Yes, BIDU has a highly scalable business model.BIDU stock has taken a hit over the past year, down 32%. Keep in mind that Chinese stocks have been in the bear phase and that there are concerns about the U.S. trade tensions. But for investors looking for a play on AI in China, BIDU stock does look attractive at these levels.Tom Taulli is the author of High-Profit IPO Strategies, All About Commodities and All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Companies Apple Should Consider Buying * 7 Beaten-Up Housing Stocks Due for a Bounce Back * Take Buffett's Advice: 5 Vanguard Funds to Buy Compare Brokers The post 5 Artificial Intelligence Stocks to Consider appeared first on InvestorPlace.
InvestorPlace2 days ago
Tilray Stock Mania Holds Its Breath as Earnings Approach
The social stigma against marijuana continues to slowly dissipate.Source: Shutterstock A construction worker's pick-up truck passed me twice during a recent walk, apparently looking for a job site, the smell of marijuana smoke redolent in the air. It's still illegal to smoke in Georgia, but that doesn't mean the illegal market isn't operating …But what about the legal market?InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsStock in Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY), the Canadian pot company, now sits finely poised between earnings due on today after the bell and a shortage of stock to short.Tilray stock is expected to lose 12 cents per share on revenue of $14.15 million. (Earnings Whispers puts the numbers for earnings and revenue at -15 cents and $17.69mm, respectively.) But that may be less important to speculators than Tilray's efforts to create credibility with the marijuana and general investor communities. * 7 Small-Cap Stocks That Make the Grade Consider the following: Tilray has appointed Andrew Pucher, a former managing director at Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), as chief corporate development officer.Pucher joins a team that now includes former executives from Nestle (OTCMKTS:NSRGY), Diageo (NYSE:DEO), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX). Further, Tilray has a partnership with Novartis (NYSE:NVS), a joint venture with Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) and a production agreement with the privately-held Authentic Brands Group.Finally, Tilray last week announced a deal to buy Manitoba Harvest from Compass Group (NYSE:CODI) for about $315 million.With all this corporate star power and deal-making, you would think Tilray would be a major pot producer. What About the Product?What product?Tilray sold no marijuana during the first two weeks after Canada legalized it in October. CEO Brendan Kennedy insisted that this will have changed by this quarter, while simultaneously announcing he bought producer Natura Naturals for $26.3 million. If all this is leaving you skeptical about the company, you're not alone …Tilray short interest recently stood at 4 million shares, 24.62% of the company's float, and there's no more available to borrow. That's why shares of a company that may report revenue of $17 million trade at a market capitalization of almost $7 billion.The other is that most of the shares don't trade, with over 78% held by "individual stakeholders." There are 79 million shares outstanding. The Marijuana MarketSpeculators are betting that over the next few years, many more U.S. states will legalize marijuana sales and are looking to legislators for guidance.New Jersey is the latest with a bill to allow recreational sales. Meanwhile, Massachusetts is getting a network of pot shops, debate has begun in Connecticut and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing the issue.But despite the examples of Colorado and Washington, the path to legal pot is still not a straight line.Minnesota Republicans recently rejected a legalization effort, prospects are dimming in New Mexico and New York's move is being held up by black legislators who want specific provisions for their communities to benefit.As a result, most moves lately have been toward legalizing medical marijuana, with doctors' prescriptions and extensive regulation. Florida is moving in that direction. So is Oklahoma.All that said, marijuana remains an illegal drug under U.S. law.People are still being put in jail for marijuana offenses and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk may lose his SpaceX security clearance after being shown on video smoking pot on a podcast. Bottom Line on Tilray StockDespite the success of Colorado, where marijuana sales are now growing at only single-digit rates in the fifth year of legalization, the product remains controversial.Tilray and its competitors are preparing for an opportunity that may not come to them for years. Meanwhile, marijuana stocks have been bid well beyond fundamentals. A lot of people are cashing big paychecks, and the dream of a well-regulated American pot market remains hazy.Dana Blankenhorn is a financial and technology journalist. He is the author of a new mystery thriller, The Reluctant Detective Finds Her Family, available now at the Amazon Kindle store. Write him at danablankenhorn@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @danablankenhorn. As of this writing, he owned no shares in companies mentioned in this article. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 5 of the Best Stocks to Buy Under $10 * 7 Single-Digit P/E Stocks With Massive Upside * 7 Best Quantum Computing Stocks Trading Today Compare Brokers The post Tilray Stock Mania Holds Its Breath as Earnings Approach appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Motley Fool2 days ago
Aurora Cannabis: 4 Logical Brand-Name Partners
Partnering with any of these four well-known companies would make a lot of sense for Canada's top-producing marijuana stock.
Zacks4 days ago
Coke (KO) Down 0.6% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?
Coke (KO) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.
InvestorPlace5 days ago
As Credit Suisse Says Pepsi Stock Could Fall 14%, Is KO Stock A Better Buy?
PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) has become a favorite among investors. How could it not, given its consistency, continued growth and dividend increases? Yet, as good as PEP stock is, not everyone is sold on the beverage and snacks maker. Who's not on board? Credit Suisse analysts.Last week, the research team initiated coverage on the Pepsi stock with an underperform rating and $100 price target on shares. The stock didn't really feel the impact of that downgrade -- given the strength of the overall market lately -- but as it stands, the target implies just under 14% downside from yesterday's $115.50 close.Is that something investors really need to look out for and if so, should they consider Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) instead? KO stock sits midway between its 52-week low and high.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Evaluating PepsiCoWorth pointing out (or maybe not) is that Credit Suisse has the lowest price target on the Street. The average target is at $117.75, not much higher than current levels, while the highest sits up at $133, implying just over 14% upside.The analyst is critical over PEP stock's valuation, which is admittedly a bit high. The stock trades at more than 21 times this year's earnings. That wouldn't be all that bad for a blue-chip stock, but the growth profile is disappointing. Analysts expect the company to earn $5.51 per share this year, which is a 2.7% decline from 2018. That's despite 2.5% sales growth this year.Over the last five years, PEP stock has an average forward price-to-earnings ratio of 19.9. If that were the case now, that would put Pepsi stock down near $109. * 7 Winning High-Yield Dividend Stocks With Payouts Over 5% Perhaps investors are excited about the company's prospect of growing earnings and sales 7.8% and 3.9% in fiscal 2020, respectively, but that's a long ways off. Some further digging shows Pepsi stock has other strains.While gross margins are ticking higher in the recent quarter, they have been trending lower for over two years on a trailing 12-month basis. Operating margins have come under pressure over the past few quarters, while free cash flow has been greatly pressured. In 2016, the company generated more than $8 billion in free cash flow, while in 2018 it barely eclipsed $6 billion. Trading Pepsi Stock Click to EnlargeIs PEP stock a bad company to own? Absolutely not. After the company's 15.2% dividend bump last May, the stock pays out a respectable 3.2% yield. For long-term investors, this potential decline isn't likely enough of a reason to sell the stock. But perhaps it will cause them to wait for a decline before buying more.I don't know if we get Pepsi down to $100 without a market-wide correction. That said, its valuation is stretched at a time when growth isn't exactly robust. As for the PEP stock price, take a look at the three-year weekly chart above. Support and resistance are quite clear, while uptrend support (in blue) makes its way higher. * 7 Top Stocks to Buy From Goldman Sachs' Secret Portfolio The Doritos maker is a good company, so I'd be interested on a pullback into support, (although we won't likely get it at $96 like we did last time). Because the Pepsi stock valuation is stretched, it makes me hesitant to buy -- even on a move over resistance, given this isn't the type of quick-moving momentum stock that investors typically trade. KO Stock or PEP Stock?So that brings up the question, should investors buy PEP stock or KO stock?To much surprise, KO stock might be the better buy, at least right now. Coca-Cola stock trades at almost 22 times this year's earnings, which is only slightly higher than Pepsi. However, analysts expect earnings to grow 1% this year on the back of 9.3% sales growth. In 2020, forecast call for a similar outlook to Pepsi, which is for 7.6% earnings growth and 4.4% sales growth.Coke has superior growth in 2019 and similar growth in 2020, while maintaining similar free cash flow profiles and superior margins to PEP. Also worth mentioning is KO stock's dividend yield, which stands at 3.5%.That said, KO stock doesn't have a screaming-low valuation and its earnings growth is somewhat disappointing given the more than 9% sales growth this year. The chart looks decent though. Click to EnlargeSupport at $43.50 to $44 continues to hold, while KO stock is above the 200-day level and is now coiling just beneath $46. We got lucky with our sell call at $50 and now may be a time to add back to that position a bit.The conclusion? Neither KO stock or PEP stock jumps out as a massively better pick than the other. Over the next 12 months though, Coca-Cola stock seems to have the edge.Bret Kenwell is the manager and author of Future Blue Chips and is on Twitter @BretKenwell. As of this writing, Bret Kenwell did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 15 Stocks Sitting on Huge Piles of Cash * The 10 Best Stocks to Buy for the Bull Market's Anniversary * 7 Dividend Stocks With Big Yields Compare Brokers The post As Credit Suisse Says Pepsi Stock Could Fall 14%, Is KO Stock A Better Buy? appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Motley Fool6 days ago
Better Dividend Buy: IBM vs. Coca-Cola
Which classic dividend stock is a better long-term investment?
Zacks6 days ago
Coca-Cola (KO) Dips More Than Broader Markets: What You Should Know
Coca-Cola (KO) closed the most recent trading day at $45.73, moving -1.07% from the previous trading session.
InvestorPlace6 days ago
Elite Dividend Payers: The Cure for the Biggest Mistake Income Investors Make
Amateur investors often bring up a common objection to buying elite dividend-paying businesses. Acting on this objection often leads them into very risky investments.Most elite dividend payers sport annual dividend yields in the neighborhood of 2%-5%. And these yields are incredibly safe and reliable. They rise every year.In addition to elite dividend payers, the stock market contains groups of businesses that pay annual yields of 6%… 8%… 10%… even 12%.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThe amateur looks at these numbers at says, "Why buy a business that yields 4% when I can buy one that yields 8%?" And then, the amateur makes one of the biggest investment mistakes in the world.They "chase" yield.There's a classic piece of investment wisdom about chasing yield. It goes: "More money has been lost chasing yield than at the barrel of a gun." Chasing yield is the act of buying stocks simply because they offer high yields… while ignoring vital business factors.Some businesses engage in risky business ventures or take on lots of debt in order to pay high yields. Finance and real estate companies often do this.Some businesses own oil & gas wells and pay dividends from the production. Those dividend payouts are often totally dependent on oil & gas prices staying elevated. They can be incredibly volatile.These businesses are usually very dangerous for the average investor.For example, there is a group of companies whose chief business activity is borrowing money at low interest rates… and then using that borrowed money to buy mortgages that pay higher interest rates. They make money from the "spread" between the two.One of the largest and most popular of these companies is Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY).Annaly is probably operated by good people. But because it borrows lots of money to buy mortgages, its business -- and its dividend yield -- is very volatile. Small changes in the business (like how much it has to pay to borrow money) can cause enormous changes in shareholder returns.Below is a chart of Annaly's dividend payments from early 1998 to early 2019. As you can see, these payments are incredibly volatile.The volatile nature of Annaly's dividend payment leads to volatile share price movement. Below is a chart of Annaly's share price during the same time period (early 1998 to early 2019).The volatility in the early 2000's and around the 2008 financial crisis is par for the course, given what was going on in the market.But even after the recovery in 2009 -- note the drop from $19 per share to $10 per share.Or… consider the performance of the San Juan Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:SJT). Prior to 2014, this trust was one of the biggest most popular trusts that owned natural gas assets.Then, the price of natural gas dropped around 65%. Because the San Juan Basin Royalty Trust derived its revenue from natural gas, its shares dropped as well. As you can see from the chart below, they fell from $20 to around $4 per share.Also consider the performance of Enerplus Resources (NYSE:ERF). Years ago, it was one of the biggest and most popular firms that owned oil & gas wells… and paid dividends out of production.Starting in 2014, crude oil fell from over $100 per barrel to less than $30 per barrel. This decline helped crush Enerplus shares. As you can see, they fell from $25 per share to barely $2 per share.The examples of Annaly, San Juan Basin, and Enerplus are not unique. And I'm not picking on these particular businesses.This story plays out over and over in the stock market… with dozens and dozens of companies.Unsuspecting investors see a company offering a very high yield and they buy it. They don't do any research to determine if the business model is risky or not. In almost every case, it is.Some investors are good at timing their purchases of these volatile businesses. They buy them when they are deeply out of favor with most investors.However, the average investor almost always buys these businesses at the wrong time: near share price peaks. He picks up 8% in dividends and then losses 30% on the share price drop.The individual investor is much, much better off owning stable businesses that pay out reliable and growing dividends. You don't trade in and out of elite-dividend payers. There's no frequent buying and selling. There's no worry that the share price will fall 30%. There's no dangerous leverage.You simply buy them and begin building wealth the low-stress way.While the dividends and share price of Annaly were bouncing up and down, elite dividend payers like Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) were paying steady and rising dividends.And that's easy to spot…if you have a powerful, yet elegant tool at your disposal -- like my friend Louis Navellier's Dividend Grader.Once you've found a solid dividend, without a ton of price volatility…the rest is history.Regards,BrianP.S. At this point, some might ask: "If you want to avoid volatility…why not just buy gold?" Well, let me show you why.Compare Brokers The post Elite Dividend Payers: The Cure for the Biggest Mistake Income Investors Make appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Business Wire6 days ago
The Coca-Cola Company Announces Timing of First Quarter 2019 Earnings Release
The Coca-Cola Company today announced it will release first quarter 2019 financial results on April 23 before the New York Stock Exchange opens. The release will be followed by an investor conference call at 8:30 a.m.
Motley Fool6 days ago
Here's the Real Reason Aurora Cannabis Shares Caught Fire Yesterday
Aurora is hoping to attract a big-time partner to fund its global expansion.
Financial Times6 days ago
[$$] Which Democrats are running to be US president in 2020?
Lawyers, senators, millennials. The field of Democrats vying for the Oval Office two years from now already includes more than a dozen contenders — and promises a record number of women and non-white candidates. ...
TheStreet.com7 days ago
Market Shrugs as Fitbit Puts a Lot on the Line With Its New Products
latest soda release, Orange Vanilla Coke, said to be the company's first new flavor in 12 years. In any event, while the packaging was slick and very eye-appealing, I was soundly disappointed with the taste, just as I was with California Raspberry (have not yet tried Georgia Peach). Of course, tastes differ among consumers, and it will be interesting to see if Orange Vanilla Coke will resonate.
InvestorPlace7 days ago
Buy the Dip in National Beverage Because FIZZ Stock Is Ready to Pop
From the looks of it, National Beverage Corp. (NYSE:FIZZ) is a brand in crisis mode. The parent company of leading sparkling water brand La Croix has seen its growth narrative come off the rails over the past several quarters as competition in the sparkling water category has heated up and broader market growth has cooled for FIZZ stock.Source: H. Michael Karshis (Modified)Meanwhile, management appears to be in damage control mode, the PR backlash hasn't been great, and the outlook for demand and profit growth to return in the near term is bleak.All together, FIZZ stock has dropped from a 52 week high of $120-plus six months ago, to prices below $60 today.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsAt this point in time, the bear thesis on FIZZ stock looks pretty compelling. You have a brand that is rapidly losing mind and market share in a slowing market, with falling margins and rising opex rates, too. All together, National Beverage Corp. will likely pivot into an era of sideways profits for the foreseeable future, which should lead to further weakness in FIZZ stock. * 15 Stocks Sitting on Huge Piles of Cash That thesis sounds good. But, it misses one big element: valuation.At current levels, FIZZ stock is dirt cheap. It's already priced for all those negatives. But, in the event that National Beverage Corp. actually turns sales around and stabilizes margins, this stock could fly higher.I think that's what will happen. In the big picture, National Beverage Corp. is losing share in a rapidly growing market that has supported and will continue to support multiple high volume brands. La Croix will be one of those high volume brands. As such, sales will stabilize. So will margins. And profits.None of that stabilization is priced in today. That's why now looks like the right time to buy the dip in FIZZ. The Brand Is Losing SteamThere's no question about it; La Croix is losing momentum. Revenues rose 18% last year. Then, throughout the course of fiscal 2019, they have fallen from 18% to 13%, to 7%, and finally to down 3% last quarter. As revenue growth has slowed, gross margins have come under pressure, as have opex rates. All together, profit growth has pivoted from hugely positive, to hugely negative.There's a few reasons behind this big pivot. First, the sparkling water category is slowing. There's nothing that National Beverage Corp. can do about this. Sparkling water market growth rates have steadily declined over the past several years, as is only natural for a red hot market with big growth rates.Second, competition in the sparkling water category has picked up. There's also nothing that National Beverage Corp. can do about this. More competitors have entered this market, include PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) with their flavored sparkling water drink Bubly. Those new competitors have stolen share from La Croix.Thus, largely due to no fault of its own, La Croix brand is losing momentum. The financial implications of this are meaningful. Revenue growth will be way slower going forward thanks to falling market share. Gross margins will be pressured for the foreseeable future due to bigger pricing competition. Opex rates will head higher as the company will have to spend more to compete on the awareness front.Putting all that together, it's easy to see that National Beverage Corp's profit growth over the next several years won't be great. After back-to-back years of 30%-plus profit growth, investors weren't expecting great. As such, FIZZ has come under significant selling pressure over the past several quarters as weak profit growth has turned into a reality. The Valuation Is Cheap Enough to BuyWith sales slowing, margins retreating, and profits shrinking, it's tough to see why you would want to buy FIZZ here. But, the bull thesis is pretty simple. All those negatives are already priced in. Eventually, they will fade out. When they do, the stock will pop in a big way.The reality is that, while La Croix is losing market share to newer entrants in the sparkling water category, this brand still remains one of, if not the, most important brand in the sparkling water market.It's easy to see La Croix's dominance weakening going forward. But, it's equally tough to see the brand not being one of the top sparkling water drinks in any time horizon, given that La Croix has become almost synonymous with sparkling water.As such, La Croix should be able to grow revenues at a slightly slower rate than the entire sparkling water category. The entire sparkling water category projects as a double-digit grower over the next several years. Thus, La Croix should be able to grow revenues at a high single digit rate during that stretch.Gross margins will come under pressure, but should stabilize as competitive forces stabilize. Opex rates will likewise move higher, but should retreat in the long run thanks to high single digit revenue growth and stabilized competition.Overall, I think sparkling water market expansion can drive National Beverage's EPS towards $5 by fiscal 2025, even against a competitive backdrop. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and Pepsi normally trade around 20 forward earnings. Based on that comp average 20 forward multiple, a realistic fiscal 2024 price target for FIZZ stock is $100. Discounted back by 10% per year, that equates to a fiscal 2019 price target of over $60.FIZZ trades at under $60 today. Thus, it's reasonable to say that, even considering all the competitive risks, FIZZ stock is undervalued relative to its long term growth prospects. Bottom Line on FIZZ StockI used to drink a lot of La Croix. Now, I drink some La Croix and some Bubly. Apparently, I'm not the only one who has started drinking Bubly, and FIZZ stock has dropped big as a result.But, I still drink La Croix, as do a ton of consumers, and the whole sparkling water category is still growing by a ton. Thus, growth in the long run will stabilize and remain healthy. FIZZ stock currently isn't priced for this. That's why buying the dip here looks like an opportunity.As of this writing, Luke Lango was long FIZZ. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 5 of the Best Stocks to Buy Under $10 * 7 Retail Stocks Winning in 2019 and Beyond * The 10 Best Stocks to Buy for the Bull Market's Anniversary Compare Brokers The post Buy the Dip in National Beverage Because FIZZ Stock Is Ready to Pop appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Financial Times8 days ago
[$$] Recent price rises fail to boost Japan inflation
For the first time in 27 years, Coca-Cola Japan is raising prices. Nissin cup noodles, a student staple, will soon cost 4-8 per cent more and ice creams are going up across the board. Spring has brought the biggest outbreak of consumer price rises in decades.
Benzinga8 days ago
BMO Downgrades Monster Beverages After Hitting 'Peak Valuation'
Energy beverage maker Monster Beverage Corp (NASDAQ: MNST ) is likely to achieve its high-single digit to low-single-digit top-line and EPS growth rate in the near term, but the likelihood of outperformance ...
Benzinga8 days ago
HSBC Downgrades Coke: 'If The Bottlers Aren't Happy, Nobody's Happy'
HSBC downgraded The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: KO ) Tuesday, citing questions about how a company trying to modernize and hedge against changing tastes will deal with a profit-splitting model with bottlers that’s ...
Barrons.com8 days ago
Coca-Cola Loses More Fizz After an Analyst Downgrade
The beverage giant’s shares are down nearly 3% year to date amid a weaker sales outlook. HSBC just cut its rating to Hold from Buy.