KO vs. MO: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on November 23, 2025

Here’s a clear look at KO and MO, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	KO	MO
Company Name	The Coca-Cola Company	Altria Group, Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Consumer Staples	Consumer Staples
GICS Industry	Beverages	Tobacco
Market Capitalization	313.95 billion USD	97.75 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	January 2, 1962
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of KO and MO by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

KO vs. MO: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	KO	MO
5-Day Price Return	0.07%	-0.02%
13-Week Price Return	0.78%	-14.04%
26-Week Price Return	-1.00%	-2.17%
52-Week Price Return	13.77%	4.15%
Month-to-Date Return	3.35%	3.19%
Year-to-Date Return	14.38%	11.26%
10-Day Avg. Volume	15.28M	7.97M
3-Month Avg. Volume	15.67M	8.36M
3-Month Volatility	15.64%	22.43%
Beta	0.37	0.50

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

KO

47.01%

Beverages Industry

Max: 47.01%
Q3: 22.97%
Median: 10.24%
Q1: 6.33%
Min: -16.74%

In the upper quartile for the Beverages industry, KO’s Return on Equity of 47.01% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

MO

149.65%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 49.48%
Q3: 49.48%
Median: 14.09%
Q1: 6.31%
Min: 4.54%

MO’s Return on Equity of 149.65% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Tobacco industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

KO

27.34%

Beverages Industry

Max: 21.65%
Q3: 12.41%
Median: 8.66%
Q1: 5.10%
Min: -5.72%

KO’s Net Profit Margin of 27.34% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Beverages industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

MO

37.89%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 22.31%
Q3: 16.00%
Median: 10.39%
Q1: 7.88%
Min: 5.24%

MO’s Net Profit Margin of 37.89% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Tobacco industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

KO

31.42%

Beverages Industry

Max: 31.42%
Q3: 20.65%
Median: 13.47%
Q1: 9.66%
Min: 2.33%

An Operating Profit Margin of 31.42% places KO in the upper quartile for the Beverages industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

MO

47.55%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 17.03%
Q3: 14.65%
Median: 13.27%
Q1: 11.00%
Min: 7.56%

MO’s Operating Profit Margin of 47.55% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Tobacco industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	KO	MO
Return on Equity (TTM)	47.01%	149.65%
Return on Assets (TTM)	12.63%	25.66%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	27.34%	37.89%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	31.42%	47.55%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	61.63%	62.00%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

KO

1.21

Beverages Industry

Max: 3.43
Q3: 1.91
Median: 1.22
Q1: 0.83
Min: 0.55

KO’s Current Ratio of 1.21 aligns with the median group of the Beverages industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

MO

0.62

Tobacco Industry

Max: 3.37
Q3: 1.95
Median: 1.12
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.62

MO’s Current Ratio of 0.62 falls into the lower quartile for the Tobacco industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

KO

1.52

Beverages Industry

Max: 2.14
Q3: 1.09
Median: 0.73
Q1: 0.35
Min: 0.00

KO’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Beverages industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.52. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

MO

8.67

Tobacco Industry

Max: 2.19
Q3: 2.19
Median: 0.57
Q1: 0.10
Min: 0.01

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 8.67, MO operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Tobacco industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

KO

67.13

Beverages Industry

Max: 78.96
Q3: 42.68
Median: 10.96
Q1: 3.86
Min: 0.81

KO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 67.13 is in the upper quartile for the Beverages industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

MO

36.48

Tobacco Industry

Max: 306.04
Q3: 126.21
Median: 9.35
Q1: 6.32
Min: -11.45

MO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 36.48 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Tobacco industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	KO	MO
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.21	0.62
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.88	0.49
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	1.52	8.67
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	67.13	36.48

Growth

Revenue Growth

KO vs. MO: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

KO vs. MO: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

KO

2.77%

Beverages Industry

Max: 7.61%
Q3: 4.81%
Median: 3.32%
Q1: 2.18%
Min: 0.00%

KO’s Dividend Yield of 2.77% is consistent with its peers in the Beverages industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

MO

7.06%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 7.08%
Q3: 5.89%
Median: 4.33%
Q1: 2.84%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 7.06%, MO offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Tobacco industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

KO

65.04%

Beverages Industry

Max: 193.57%
Q3: 102.38%
Median: 72.98%
Q1: 39.04%
Min: 0.00%

KO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 65.04% is within the typical range for the Beverages industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

MO

77.93%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 77.93%
Q3: 71.72%
Median: 63.28%
Q1: 50.14%
Min: 49.96%

MO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 77.93% is in the upper quartile for the Tobacco industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	KO	MO
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.77%	7.06%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	65.04%	77.93%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

KO

23.51

Beverages Industry

Max: 36.07
Q3: 23.27
Median: 18.39
Q1: 14.57
Min: 6.38

A P/E Ratio of 23.51 places KO in the upper quartile for the Beverages industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

MO

11.04

Tobacco Industry

Max: 65.58
Q3: 33.11
Median: 28.08
Q1: 11.17
Min: 9.81

In the lower quartile for the Tobacco industry, MO’s P/E Ratio of 11.04 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

KO

6.43

Beverages Industry

Max: 4.25
Q3: 2.29
Median: 1.56
Q1: 0.91
Min: 0.38

With a P/S Ratio of 6.43, KO trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Beverages industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

MO

4.18

Tobacco Industry

Max: 6.83
Q3: 4.55
Median: 3.22
Q1: 1.40
Min: 0.79

MO’s P/S Ratio of 4.18 aligns with the market consensus for the Tobacco industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

KO

9.04

Beverages Industry

Max: 7.45
Q3: 4.03
Median: 2.20
Q1: 1.39
Min: 0.83

At 9.04, KO’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Beverages industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

MO

27.09

Tobacco Industry

Max: 4.92
Q3: 4.80
Median: 4.10
Q1: 2.16
Min: 1.18

At 27.09, MO’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Tobacco industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

KO vs. MO: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Beverages and Tobacco industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	KO	MO
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	23.51	11.04
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	6.43	4.18
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	9.04	27.09
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	27.64	10.66