Coca-Cola (KO) Could Benefit From Biggest-Ever FIFA Marketing Push, Says Citigroup

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is included among the 10 Best Long Term Low Risk Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.

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On May 18, Citigroup analyst Filippo Falorni raised the firm’s price recommendation on The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) to $91 from $90. It reiterated a Buy rating on the stock. Citi believes Coca-Cola could see a boost in beverage volumes during this summer’s FIFA World Cup. The analyst pointed out that the company is an official tournament partner and is launching what it described as its biggest-ever marketing campaign tied to the event.

During the Q1 2026 earnings call, President and CFO John Murphy said the company still expects organic revenue growth of 4% to 5% for 2026. He also shared that Coca-Cola now expects comparable currency-neutral EPS growth, excluding acquisitions and divestitures, to come in between 6% and 7%.

Murphy said the company now expects comparable earnings per share growth of 8% to 9% compared with $3 in 2025. That is slightly above the earlier guidance range of 7% to 8%, mainly because of a lower effective tax rate. He added that Coca-Cola now expects its 2026 underlying effective tax rate to be 19.9%, down by 1 percentage point from the previous estimate.

Murphy also noted that divestitures are still expected to create about a 4 percentage point headwind to comparable net revenues and around a 1 percentage point drag on comparable earnings per share. He said the outlook assumes the pending sale of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa will close in the second half of 2026.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) operates across several global markets, including Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, and the Asia Pacific. The company sells a wide range of beverage brands through its various business segments worldwide.

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