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 2026-09-18.
The Coca-Cola Company · Consumer Defensive
$88.71
+15.5% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Starbucks Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$96.67
+12.3% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
QuantHub Verdict
KO has more upside to fair value
(+15.5%).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
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Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
KO |
SBUX |
| Current Price |
$88.71 |
$96.67 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$102.44 |
$108.52 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+15.5%
|
+12.3%
|
| Market Cap |
$381.7B |
$110.2B |
| Forward P/E |
—
|
—
|
| EV / EBITDA |
20.8x
|
22.0x
|
| Price / Sales |
7.6x
|
2.9x
|
| Price / FCF |
26.7x
|
30.4x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+6.7%
|
-1.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
61.9%
|
31.7%
|
| Operating Margin |
29.6%
|
9.4%
|
| Return on Equity |
43.0%
|
-24.3%
|
| Dividend Yield |
2.37% |
2.57% |
| FCF Yield |
3.75%
|
3.29%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
The Coca-Cola Company is a global non-alcoholic beverage concentrate, brand-management and bottling-system business with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories, supported by powerful trademarks, 2.2 billion daily servings and an entrenched distribution network. Business quality is high: TTM gross, operating and net margins are 61.9%, 29.6% and 28.6%, respectively, ROE is 43.0%, …
Starbucks is the world's largest specialty coffee retailer, operating company-owned and licensed coffeehouses across North America, International, and Channel Development segments, with a brand that has historically supported premium pricing and global scale. The business quality is currently strained: revenue declined 1.4% year over year in the most recent quarter, TTM operating margin is 9.4%, …
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
KO |
SBUX |
| Zone Low |
$76.83 |
$81.39 |
| Zone High |
$87.07 |
$92.24 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|