The Coca-Cola Company Beat Analyst Estimates: See What The Consensus Is Forecasting For This Year

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) came out with its second-quarter results last week, and we wanted to see how the business is performing and what industry forecasters think of the company following this report. The result was positive overall - although revenues of US$13b were in line with what the analysts predicted, Coca-Cola surprised by delivering a statutory profit of US$0.88 per share, modestly greater than expected. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. So we collected the latest post-earnings statutory consensus estimates to see what could be in store for next year.

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Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for Coca-Cola from 20 analysts is for revenues of US$48.5b in 2025. If met, it would imply a modest 3.0% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to increase 3.1% to US$2.92. In the lead-up to this report, the analysts had been modelling revenues of US$48.2b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.90 in 2025. So it's pretty clear that, although the analysts have updated their estimates, there's been no major change in expectations for the business following the latest results.

View our latest analysis for Coca-Cola

The analysts reconfirmed their price target of US$78.15, showing that the business is executing well and in line with expectations. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. There are some variant perceptions on Coca-Cola, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$85.00 and the most bearish at US$59.60 per share. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await Coca-Cola shareholders.

Looking at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up against both past performance and industry growth estimates. The period to the end of 2025 brings more of the same, according to the analysts, with revenue forecast to display 6.1% growth on an annualised basis. That is in line with its 7.5% annual growth over the past five years. By contrast, our data suggests that other companies (with analyst coverage) in a similar industry are forecast to see their revenues grow 4.7% per year. So although Coca-Cola is expected to maintain its revenue growth rate, it's definitely expected to grow faster than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The most important thing to take away is that there's been no major change in sentiment, with the analysts reconfirming that the business is performing in line with their previous earnings per share estimates. Fortunately, they also reconfirmed their revenue numbers, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Additionally, our data suggests that revenue is expected to grow faster than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$78.15, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple Coca-Cola analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here.

Plus, you should also learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Coca-Cola (including 2 which are potentially serious) .

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.