Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) vs Apple Inc. (AAPL) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AAPL | 6.4% revenue growth vs COKE's 4.8% |
| Value | COKE | Lower P/E (29.7x vs 31.1x), PEG 0.99 vs 1.74 |
| Quality / Margins | AAPL | 27.0% net margin vs COKE's 8.7% |
| Stability / Safety | COKE | Beta 0.33 vs AAPL's 1.28 |
| Dividends | COKE | 0.5% yield, vs AAPL's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | COKE | +43.5% vs AAPL's +9.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAPL | 31.1% ROA vs COKE's 10.8%, ROIC 64.5% vs 35.0% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, manufacturing and distributing Coca-Cola products across 14 states. It generates revenue primarily through beverage sales—sparkling drinks like Coke and Sprite (~60% of sales) and still beverages including water, tea, and energy drinks (~40%)—with distribution to retailers, restaurants, and vending outlets. Its key advantage is exclusive territorial rights to produce and distribute Coca-Cola products in its operating regions, creating a protected geographic moat.
Apple is a technology giant that designs and sells premium consumer electronics — most famously the iPhone — along with related software and services. It generates revenue primarily from hardware sales (roughly 80% of total) and a fast-growing services segment (around 20%) that includes the App Store, subscriptions, and licensing. Its key competitive advantage is a powerful ecosystem that locks users into its hardware, software, and services through seamless integration and high switching costs.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
COKE leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). AAPL leads in 2 (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAPL is the larger business by revenue, generating $435.6B annually — 61.6x COKE's $7.1B. AAPL is the more profitable business, keeping 27.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to COKE's 8.7%. On growth, AAPL holds the edge at +15.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | COKECoca-Cola Consoli… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $7.1B | $435.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.1B | $152.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $612M | $117.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $598M | $123.3B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +39.8% | +47.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +13.1% | +32.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +8.7% | +27.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +8.5% | +28.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +6.9% | +15.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +24.2% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 29.7x trailing earnings, COKE trades at a 16% valuation discount to AAPL's 35.4x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), COKE offers better value at 0.99x vs AAPL's 1.98x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | COKECoca-Cola Consoli… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $11.4B | $3.88T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $14.1B | $3.97T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 29.72x | 35.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 31.15x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.99x | 1.98x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 14.80x | 27.45x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.58x | 9.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 53.76x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 18.48x | 39.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAPL delivers a 133.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $134 in annual profit, vs $37 for COKE. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAPL scores 7/9 vs COKE's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | COKECoca-Cola Consoli… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +37.4% | +133.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +10.8% | +31.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +35.0% | +64.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +26.5% | +69.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.67x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $2.6B | $89.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $282M | $33.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2.9B | $123.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 35.91x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in COKE five years ago would be worth $80,313 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $21,049 for AAPL. Over the past 12 months, COKE leads with a +43.5% total return vs AAPL's +9.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors COKE at 54.6% vs AAPL's 21.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | COKECoca-Cola Consoli… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +35.2% | -2.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +43.5% | +9.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +269.5% | +81.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +703.1% | +110.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1088.9% | +1027.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +54.6% | +21.9% |
Risk & Volatility
COKE is the less volatile stock with a 0.33 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AAPL's 1.28 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. COKE currently trades 98.7% from its 52-week high vs AAPL's 91.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | COKECoca-Cola Consoli… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.33x | 1.28x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $205.00 | $288.61 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $105.21 | $169.21 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +98.7% | +91.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 83.9 | 57.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 369K | 40.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates COKE as "Hold" and AAPL as "Buy". For income investors, COKE offers the higher dividend yield at 0.51% vs AAPL's 0.39%.
| Metric | COKECoca-Cola Consoli… | AAPLApple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $303.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 1 | 109 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.5% | +0.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $1.03 | $1.03 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +2.3% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola Consolida… (COKE) | 100 | 696.33 | +596.3% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 100 | 361.46 | +261.5% |
Coca-Cola Consolida… (COKE) returned +703% over 5 years vs Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s +110%. A $10,000 investment in COKE 5 years ago would be worth $80,313 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola Consolida… (COKE) | $3.2B | $7.2B | +129.0% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $215.6B | $416.2B | +93.0% |
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.'s revenue grew from $3.2B (2016) to $7.2B (2025) — a 9.6% CAGR. Apple Inc.'s revenue grew from $215.6B (2016) to $416.2B (2025) — a 7.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola Consolida… (COKE) | 1.6% | 7.9% | +396.9% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 21.2% | 26.9% | +27.0% |
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.'s net margin went from 2% (2016) to 8% (2025). Apple Inc.'s net margin went from 21% (2016) to 27% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola Consolida… (COKE) | 20.9 | 22.5 | +7.7% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 18.4 | 36.4 | +97.8% |
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. has traded in a 11x–142x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~30x. Apple Inc. has traded in a 13x–41x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~35x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola Consolida… (COKE) | 0.54 | 6.81 | +1170.5% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 2.08 | 7.46 | +258.7% |
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.54 (2016) to $6.81 (2025) — a 33% CAGR. Apple Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.08 (2016) to $7.46 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. generated $620M FCF in 2025 (+69% vs 2021). Apple Inc. generated $99B FCF in 2025 (+6% vs 2021).
COKE vs AAPL: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is COKE or AAPL a better buy right now?
Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) offers the better valuation at 29.7x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Apple Inc. (AAPL) a "Buy" — based on 109 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — COKE or AAPL?
On trailing P/E, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) is the cheapest at 29.7x versus Apple Inc. at 35.4x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — COKE or AAPL?
Over the past 5 years, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) delivered a total return of +703.1%, compared to +110.5% for Apple Inc. (AAPL). A $10,000 investment in COKE five years ago would be worth approximately $80K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: COKE returned +1089% versus AAPL's +1027%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — COKE or AAPL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.33β versus Apple Inc.'s 1.28β — meaning AAPL is approximately 284% more volatile than COKE relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — COKE or AAPL?
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is the more profitable company, earning 26.9% net margin versus 7.9% for Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. — meaning it keeps 26.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AAPL leads at 32.0% versus 13.2% for COKE. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AAPL leads at 46.9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Which pays a better dividend — COKE or AAPL?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) offers the highest yield at 0.5%, versus 0.4% for Apple Inc. (AAPL).
07Is COKE or AAPL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.33), 0.5% yield, +1089% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (COKE: +1089%, AAPL: +1027%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between COKE and AAPL?
These companies operate in different sectors (COKE (Consumer Defensive) and AAPL (Technology)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. COKE pays a dividend while AAPL does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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