The Ultimate Dividend Growth Stock to Buy With $1,000 Right Now

Core Viewpoint - Paying a fair price for a strong business like Coca-Cola is a sound investment strategy, especially for long-term investors [1][2] Company Overview - Coca-Cola is the world's leading non-alcoholic beverage maker, operating within the consumer staples sector, and is essentially selling affordable luxuries that consumers continue to purchase even during economic downturns [5][6] - The company has a strong brand loyalty, with consumers preferring its products regardless of economic conditions [6] Financial Performance - Coca-Cola has demonstrated resilience in the current market, achieving a 6% increase in organic sales in Q3 2025, outperforming key competitor PepsiCo, which only saw a 1.3% increase [11] - The company's same-store sales rose from the second quarter, contrasting with PepsiCo's decline, indicating Coca-Cola's strong market position despite industry challenges [11] Valuation Metrics - Coca-Cola's current market capitalization is $301 billion, with a price-to-sales ratio in line with its five-year average, while its price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios are below their five-year averages, suggesting an attractive valuation [12] - The company offers a dividend yield of 2.92%, which is significantly higher than the S&P 500's yield of 1.1% and the average yield of 2.7% for consumer staples stocks, making it appealing for long-term dividend investors [13]