This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter. Editor's note: This story has been updated with analyst commentary. Dive Brief: Coca-Cola COO Henrique Braun will replace James Quincey as CEO starting March 31, the company announced Wednesday. Braun and Quincey both joined Coca-Cola in 1996. Quincey, who has served as CEO for nine years, will transition to the role of executive chairman. During his tenure, he shed ...

Core Insights - Coca-Cola and Home Depot are highlighted as strong dividend-paying stocks that can be integral to long-term investment portfolios [2] Group 1: Coca-Cola - Coca-Cola has a long history, selling its first beverage in 1886, and now operates in over 200 countries with a diverse product range beyond soda [4] - In Q3, Coca-Cola's revenue increased by 6% after adjusting for foreign currency impacts and acquisitions, indicating steady revenue generation despite a lack of rapid growth [5] - The company has a market capitalization of $301 billion, a gross margin of 61.55%, and a dividend yield of 2.91%, which is higher than the S&P 500 average of 1.1% [6][8] - Coca-Cola maintains a comfortable payout ratio of 67% and is recognized as a Dividend King, having increased its dividends for 63 consecutive years [7] Group 2: Home Depot - Home Depot is the largest retailer in the home improvement sector, focusing on both DIY customers and professional contractors, with recent acquisitions to strengthen its professional segment [9] - In its fiscal Q3, Home Depot's same-store sales increased by only 0.2%, impacted by reduced customer traffic and sluggish home improvement spending [10] - The company has a market capitalization of $344 billion, a gross margin of 31.40%, and a dividend yield of 2.66%, which is competitive in the market [12][14] - Home Depot generated $10.4 billion in free cash flow, allowing it to comfortably cover its $6.9 billion in dividends, with a commitment to prioritize dividends over share repurchases [13]

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the interconnectedness of business and investment, highlighting that understanding one enhances the comprehension of the other. It advocates for defining one's "circle of competence" and staying within it to make informed investment decisions [5][12][30]. Group 1: Circle of Competence - Warren Buffett stresses the importance of identifying and operating within one's circle of competence, using the example of Mrs. Blumkin, who successfully ran a furniture business by only engaging in areas she understood [9][19][22]. - Many CEOs of large companies often lack experience in capital allocation, leading to poor acquisition decisions when they venture outside their expertise [10][24][25]. - The article suggests that having fewer but more informed investment opportunities can lead to better outcomes, contrasting this with the prevalent culture on Wall Street that encourages frequent trading [11][32][36]. Group 2: Investment Philosophy - The investment approach advocated is to focus on high-quality businesses and to wait patiently for clear opportunities, rather than being swayed by market noise [30][36][60]. - The article discusses the advantages of owning a portion of a great business, like Coca-Cola, rather than seeking to acquire entire companies, which often leads to overpaying in competitive bidding situations [36][39][44]. - It highlights the importance of investing one’s own capital, as seen in Berkshire Hathaway, where management invests a significant portion of their wealth, aligning their interests with those of shareholders [39][40]. Group 3: Market Dynamics - The article critiques the modern investment theory that equates price volatility with risk, arguing that buying undervalued assets can be safer than overpaying for perceived stability [75][78]. - It points out the challenges of global competition and the risks associated with investing in foreign markets, emphasizing a preference for companies registered in the U.S. [81][83]. - The discussion includes the notion that successful investments often come from understanding the underlying business rather than relying on market trends or speculation [57][60].

December 8, 2025 05:01 AM GMT Thematic Alpha & Consumer | North America Consumer & Retail Conference Wrap Up: Thematic Takeaways and Answers to Key Questions Several key themes emerged from our consumer & retail conference including soft macro & the K-Economy, social & agentic commerce, AI adoption, health, wellness, & GLP-1s, and tariffs. We also include analyst takeaways on the health of the consumer by industry and answers to key questions. Last week, Morgan Stanley hosted its annual Global Consumer & Re ...

Core Insights - The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is focusing on innovation to adapt to changing consumer preferences and maintain its leadership in the global beverage market [1][2][10] - The company is diversifying its product offerings beyond traditional soft drinks into rapidly growing categories such as flavored sparkling water, energy drinks, and ready-to-drink coffees [1][4][10] Innovation and Market Strategy - KO utilizes its global scale, strong brand equity, and a disciplined innovation pipeline to quickly bring relevant products to market [2][10] - The company employs an agile innovation framework that allows for rapid prototyping and market testing, enabling it to scale successful concepts while discontinuing underperforming products [3][4] - Coca-Cola is prioritizing packaging innovation, focusing on recyclable materials and lightweight bottles, alongside developing new marketing capabilities [4] Health-Conscious Offerings - The company is expanding its low and no-sugar product lines, particularly Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, to align with health-conscious consumer trends [5][10] - By introducing innovative flavors and product variants, Coca-Cola aims to capture the health-conscious market while retaining brand loyalty [5] Competitive Landscape - Key competitors include PepsiCo, which emphasizes value leadership and innovation in its portfolio, and Celsius Holdings, which is diversifying its offerings and tapping into lifestyle trends [6][7][8] Financial Performance - Coca-Cola shares have increased by 12.5% year-to-date, outperforming the industry average growth of 7.4% [9] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 21.84X, higher than the industry average of 18X [11] - Earnings per share (EPS) estimates for 2025 and 2026 indicate year-over-year growth of 3.5% and 8%, respectively, with stable estimates over the past 30 days [12]

Income investors should like these three Buffett stocks, along with three other honorable mentions.Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A +0.14%) (BRK.B +0.22%) has never paid a quarterly dividend under Warren Buffett's leadership. With the investing legend stepping down as CEO at the end of the year, it will never do so.That doesn't mean Buffett isn't a fan of dividend stocks, though. Berkshire's portfolio is chock-full of them – and some offer especially juicy yields. Here are Buffett's three best high-yield dividend ...

文 | 增长黑盒GrowthBox 今年圣诞营销季，可口可乐又把自己送上了舆论的风口浪尖。 没错，还是因为AI。 继去年那支被吐槽"人脸僵硬恐怖"的AI圣诞广告后，今年，可口可乐再度出手，用AI重塑了1995年的经 典广告《节日将至》。这一次，他们学"聪明"了——主角全员换成了毛茸茸的北极熊、熊猫和树懒，避 免了技术不足带来的"恐怖谷效应"。 视频来源：Coca-Cola | Holidays Are Coming 制作工艺提升了，但骂声却更猛烈了。 然而，面对如潮的差评，可口可乐的回应是：是的，这是不完美的，但我们要继续。 今天，我们就来扒开可口可乐的AI外壳，看清其背后的战略意图。 AI广告或许"毫无灵魂"，但AI战略不可动摇 让我们先回到争议本身。今年的AI圣诞广告，到底是怎么做出来的？ 根据公开报道，这支广告由一个五人的小型专家团队，利用AI生成了70,000条视频片段，并从中进行筛 选和集合，最终成片制作周期仅为30天（过去可能需要提前一年时间进行准备）。 对比2024年的版本，新版本无疑更精致流畅。 "我们运用先进的生成式 AI 工具，从镜头角度到物理驱动的真实感，通过直观的可视化标注模拟导演工 ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the evolving perspectives on growth and value investing, highlighting the need to reassess traditional investment principles in light of modern economic realities and the success of high-growth companies [5][6][7]. Group 1: Growth vs. Value - There is an acknowledged and widening divergence between growth and value investing, with traditional value principles struggling to account for the sustained high growth of companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon [7][8]. - The underlying economic structure has shifted, suggesting that reliance on historical value metrics may no longer be sufficient for investment success [7][8]. - Despite the differences, there are fundamental commonalities between growth and value investing, particularly in the importance of honest long-term cash flow estimation and risk management [8][9]. Group 2: Historical Context and Evolution - Historically, there has been a lack of literature supporting growth investing compared to the extensive documentation of value investing, which has created a bias in the investment community [13][14]. - The belief that "value will ultimately prevail" remains entrenched, despite evidence that growth strategies have outperformed passive indices over the long term [14][15]. - The past decade has seen a significant deviation from Graham's observations, with high-growth stocks yielding substantial returns, contrary to his predictions [18][19]. Group 3: Case Studies - Microsoft serves as a prime example of a company that has achieved remarkable long-term growth, with revenue increasing from $60 billion in 2008 to $110 billion in 2018, showcasing a compound annual growth rate of 24% [20]. - Google also exemplifies this trend, with its revenue growing from $21.8 billion in 2008 to $136.8 billion in 2018, reflecting the potential of high-growth companies to deliver exceptional returns [21]. - The article contrasts Coca-Cola's stagnation in stock value over the past 20 years with Facebook's growth trajectory, suggesting that the latter may align more closely with modern investment principles [70][75]. Group 4: Future Investment Landscape - The future of investing will likely be shaped by structural changes in the global economy, necessitating a shift in focus from short-term financial metrics to long-term transformative trends [40][41]. - The concept of "creative destruction" is becoming increasingly relevant, indicating that traditional investment strategies may need to adapt to a rapidly changing economic environment [41][42]. - Companies that can leverage network effects and platform positions may exhibit "super-linear growth," challenging traditional value investment assumptions [61][62].

Core Viewpoint - The best income stocks are those that build a larger cash machine over time, rather than just those with the highest dividends [1] Group 1: Investment Strategy - The approach to identifying consistent income stocks begins with the Dividend Kings list, which includes companies that have raised dividends for over 50 consecutive years [1] - Many investors seek not only longevity but also strong earnings growth, as dividends are ultimately based on rising profits [2] - The focus is on resilient companies with a strong backing from Wall Street analysts, rated as "Strong Buy" [2] Group 2: Stock Screening Process - The stock screening process utilized Barchart's Stock Screener to identify the highest-yielding companies [3] - The results were sorted by yield from highest to lowest to create a list of the best-rated Dividend Kings to buy [4] Group 3: Company Profile - Coca-Cola - Coca-Cola Company (KO) is a well-known manufacturer and supplier of beverages, serving over 2.2 billion drinks daily in over 200 countries [7] - The company is advancing sustainability efforts through initiatives like AI-based leak detection for water projects [7] Group 4: Financial Performance - Coca-Cola reported a 5.1% year-over-year increase in sales to $3.70 billion, with net income rising 30% to $3.70 billion [8] - The company's five-year earnings growth stands at 36.49%, indicating strong and consistent earnings performance [8]

Key Takeaways KO posts a 120-bps y/y operating margin expansion in 3Q25 despite a slight gross margin dip.Coca-Cola credits media productivity, supply-chain gains and tighter expenses for stronger margins.Management sees refranchising and a potential 2026 currency tailwind supporting margin strength.The Coca-Cola Company (KO) delivered a notable margin performance in third-quarter 2025, underscoring the growing impacts of its multi-year productivity and efficiency initiatives. While the comparable gross mar ...