Coca-Cola and Partner Divest Majority Stake in African Bottler for $2.6 Billion
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 21 2025
0mins
Should l Buy KO?
Source: WSJ
Coca-Cola Stake Sale: Coca-Cola has agreed to sell a majority stake in its largest African bottler to a Switzerland-based company for $2.6 billion.
Market Position: The acquisition will elevate Coca-Cola HBC to the position of the second largest bottler in the Coca-Cola system by volume, following Coca-Cola Femsa.
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Analyst Views on KO
Wall Street analysts forecast KO stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for KO is 79.33 USD with a low forecast of 71.00 USD and a high forecast of 85.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
14 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 79.030
Low
71.00
Averages
79.33
High
85.00
Current: 79.030
Low
71.00
Averages
79.33
High
85.00
About KO
The Coca-Cola Company is a beverage company. The Company's segments include Europe, Middle East and Africa; Latin America; North America; Asia Pacific; Global Ventures; and Bottling Investments. It sells multiple brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Its portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Its water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Fuze Tea, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Its juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. It operates in two lines of business: concentrate operations and finished product operations. Its concentrate operations sell beverage concentrates, syrups, including fountain syrups, and certain finished beverages to authorized bottling operations. Its finished product operations sell sparkling soft drinks and a variety of other finished beverages.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Same-Store Sales Growth: Investors should monitor same-store sales growth, particularly with Costco's recent switch back to Coca-Cola products, which may signal a resurgence in brand strength and further enhance market share.
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- Profitability Improvement: Expected earnings per share are projected at 56 cents, a slight increase from 55 cents year-over-year, with the company surpassing analyst estimates in nine of the last ten quarters, demonstrating consistent profitability.
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- Performance Track Record: The company has beaten EPS estimates in each of the past eight quarters and topped revenue estimates 75% of the time over the last two years, showcasing strong execution and high market confidence.
- Estimate Trends: Heading into the earnings report, EPS forecasts have seen four upward and three downward revisions, while revenue estimates recorded three upward revisions and one downward, indicating market divergence regarding the company's future performance.
- Long-Term Outlook: Analysts expect Coca-Cola to adopt a cautious approach in setting its 2026 targets, with an anticipated organic growth rate of 4-5% and an EPS growth rate of 7-8%, driven by pricing strategies and product mix, reflecting the company's strategic planning for future markets.
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