KO vs SBUX: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of The Coca-Cola Company and Starbucks Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-17.
The Coca-Cola Company · Consumer Defensive
$84.92
-10.2% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Starbucks Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$100.65
-6.1% upside to fair value
Grade D
QuantHub Verdict
SBUX has more upside to fair value
(-6.1%).
KO trades at a lower forward P/E
(26.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
KO |
SBUX |
| Current Price |
$84.92 |
$100.65 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$76.30 |
$94.50 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-10.2%
|
-6.1%
|
| Market Cap |
$365.4B |
$114.7B |
| Forward P/E |
26.6x
|
76.7x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
20.7x
|
25.6x
|
| Price / Sales |
7.4x
|
3.0x
|
| Price / FCF |
29.1x
|
42.1x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+12.1%
|
+8.8%
|
| Gross Margin |
61.7%
|
20.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
29.3%
|
9.3%
|
| Return on Equity |
43.6%
|
-18.3%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
3.44%
|
2.38%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
The Coca-Cola Company is a leading global beverage company specializing in non-alcoholic drinks with a durable competitive moat driven by its strong brand and extensive distribution network. The business quality is high, evidenced by a 43.6% return on equity, robust gross margin of 61.7%, and solid revenue and earnings growth of 12.1% and 17.8% respectively in the most recent quarter. Despite the…
Starbucks Corporation operates a global coffeehouse chain with a strong brand and a leading digital/mobile platform, serving approximately 90 million customers weekly through over 28,000 stores in 77 countries. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat based on its extensive store footprint, brand recognition, and digital engagement rather than proprietary products. Despite solid reven…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
KO |
SBUX |
| Zone Low |
$57.22 |
$70.88 |
| Zone High |
$64.85 |
$80.33 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|