Ten-Year Tally: Coca-Cola Stock Delivers $85 Bil Gain

Core Insights - Coca-Cola reported first quarter earnings of $10.96 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $10.8 billion [2] - Over the past decade, Coca-Cola has returned $85 billion to investors through dividends and buybacks, ranking as the 23rd highest contributor to shareholder returns in history [3][4] Financial Performance - Revenue growth for Coca-Cola is reported at 2.8% for the last twelve months (LTM) and an average of 4.0% over the past three years [10] - The company has a free cash flow margin of approximately 11.7% and an operating margin of 31.3% LTM [10] - Coca-Cola's stock is currently valued at a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 22.7 [10] Shareholder Returns - Dividends and share repurchases are highlighted as direct returns of capital to shareholders, reflecting management's confidence in the company's financial stability [3] - The total capital returned to shareholders as a percentage of current market capitalization appears inversely proportional to growth potential for reinvestment opportunities [4] Market Context - Coca-Cola has experienced significant declines in the past, including drops of approximately 38% during the Dot-Com crash and nearly 41% during the Global Financial Crisis [7] - The company is not immune to declines even in favorable market conditions, as stock performance can be affected by earnings reports and business updates [8]