American States Water and Coca-Cola: Reliable Dividend Kings
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 day ago
0mins
Should l Buy KO?
Source: Fool
- American States Water Overview: American States Water has raised its dividend for 72 consecutive years, currently offering a 2.7% yield and a market cap of $2.9 billion, demonstrating its stability and income potential in uncertain markets.
- Earnings Growth Drivers: EPS is projected to grow from $1.60 to $3.37 between 2015 and 2025, primarily driven by investments in water infrastructure and approved rate increases, ensuring ample room for future dividend growth.
- Coca-Cola's Market Position: Coca-Cola has increased its dividend for 64 years, with a current yield of 2.7% and a market cap of $329 billion, and as the world's largest beverage maker, it generates stable profits from high-margin concentrates and syrups.
- Diversification Strategy: To combat declining soda consumption, Coca-Cola has diversified its portfolio with bottled water, teas, juices, and energy drinks, enhancing its competitive edge and is expected to continue attracting younger consumers.
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Analyst Views on KO
Wall Street analysts forecast KO stock price to rise
14 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 75.900
Low
71.00
Averages
79.33
High
85.00
Current: 75.900
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 (EMEA); Latin America; North America; Asia Pacific, 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 Santa Clara. 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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- Portfolio Concentration: Abel inherited a portfolio where the top ten holdings account for 79% of invested assets, with Apple representing $59.4 billion or 18.7% of total investments, indicating a strong reliance on core assets.
- Capital Return Strategy: All of Berkshire's top ten holdings pay dividends, with Coca-Cola yielding an impressive 63% annually, reflecting Abel's continuation of Buffett's focus on capital returns to enhance shareholder value.
- Value Investment Principle: Abel emphasizes the importance of value in managing the portfolio, recently selling approximately 75% of Berkshire's Apple shares, indicating that maintaining the portfolio's value is a top priority in the face of high valuations.
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- Capital Return Strategy: All of Berkshire's top ten holdings feature robust capital return programs, with each company paying dividends; Coca-Cola boasts an impressive 63% annual yield, underscoring Abel's dedication to maintaining shareholder value.
- Long-Term Holding Strategy: In his first shareholder letter, Abel classified Apple and Moody's as 'indefinite holdings,' indicating confidence in their long-term prospects, despite Berkshire having sold approximately 75% of its Apple stake in the past two years.
- Value Investment Principle: Both Abel and Buffett emphasize the importance of securing good deals, as evidenced by Berkshire's recent reductions in holdings, reflecting sensitivity to market valuations, particularly when bank stocks trade above book value.
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- Stock Performance: Year-to-date, PepsiCo's stock has risen approximately 8%, outperforming many consumer staples companies, indicating resilience and investor confidence in the brand.
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- Stock Performance: Year-to-date, PepsiCo's stock has risen approximately 8%, outperforming most competitors in the consumer goods sector, indicating strong market confidence in its growth prospects.
- Market Volatility: Although PepsiCo's stock is typically low in volatility, options markets are pricing in a 4.3% post-earnings move, below the average of 5.4% over the past four quarters, suggesting a cautious investor sentiment ahead of the earnings report.
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- Coca-Cola's Market Resilience: As a long-held stock by Buffett, Coca-Cola showcases its robust risk management with a 64-year dividend history and a 12% year-to-date increase, serving as a safe haven for investors during market volatility and reinforcing its critical role in the U.S. economy.
- Kroger's Growth Potential: As the largest premium grocer in the U.S. with nearly 2,700 stores, Kroger capitalizes on significant market opportunities in food, attracting affluent customers, and despite being acquired by Buffett at a low price in 2019, it continues to offer stable investment returns.
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- Adaptability to Market Conditions: Amid current geopolitical unrest and oil price fluctuations, while the S&P 500 remains flat, Coca-Cola and Kroger stocks have excelled, rising 12% and 9% respectively, demonstrating their adaptability and investment value in uncertain market environments.
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