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

Updated on August 27, 2025

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

Company Profile

Symbol	KO	WFC
Company Name	The Coca-Cola Company	Wells Fargo & Company
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Consumer Staples	Financials
GICS Industry	Beverages	Banks
Market Capitalization	296.65 billion USD	256.88 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	June 1, 1972
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of KO and WFC 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. WFC: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	KO	WFC
5-Day Price Return	-1.71%	3.43%
13-Week Price Return	-3.11%	9.27%
26-Week Price Return	-1.63%	-0.20%
52-Week Price Return	-0.58%	43.30%
Month-to-Date Return	1.53%	-0.55%
Year-to-Date Return	10.71%	14.17%
10-Day Avg. Volume	12.55M	12.64M
3-Month Avg. Volume	15.23M	16.68M
3-Month Volatility	14.28%	23.69%
Beta	0.44	1.27

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

KO

45.90%

Beverages Industry

Max: 49.46%
Q3: 24.91%
Median: 11.13%
Q1: 5.27%
Min: -5.93%

In the upper quartile for the Beverages industry, KO’s Return on Equity of 45.90% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

WFC

11.36%

Banks Industry

Max: 26.37%
Q3: 15.92%
Median: 12.25%
Q1: 8.69%
Min: 0.15%

WFC’s Return on Equity of 11.36% is on par with the norm for the Banks industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

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

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

KO

25.89%

Beverages Industry

Max: 21.86%
Q3: 12.24%
Median: 8.70%
Q1: 5.33%
Min: -4.40%

KO’s Net Profit Margin of 25.89% 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.

WFC

22.19%

Banks Industry

Max: 54.20%
Q3: 35.70%
Median: 28.97%
Q1: 22.53%
Min: 6.98%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Banks industry, WFC’s Net Profit Margin of 22.19% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

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

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

KO

29.32%

Beverages Industry

Max: 29.32%
Q3: 18.25%
Median: 13.42%
Q1: 10.58%
Min: 0.71%

An Operating Profit Margin of 29.32% 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.

WFC

25.35%

Banks Industry

Max: 63.35%
Q3: 44.59%
Median: 37.24%
Q1: 28.25%
Min: 13.37%

WFC’s Operating Profit Margin of 25.35% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

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

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	KO	WFC
Return on Equity (TTM)	45.90%	11.36%
Return on Assets (TTM)	11.80%	1.06%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	25.89%	22.19%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	29.32%	25.35%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	61.43%	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

KO

1.21

Beverages Industry

Max: 3.38
Q3: 1.97
Median: 1.21
Q1: 0.86
Min: 0.53

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.

WFC

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

For the Banks industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

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

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

KO

1.73

Beverages Industry

Max: 2.11
Q3: 1.23
Median: 0.79
Q1: 0.32
Min: 0.00

KO’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Beverages industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.73. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

WFC

2.01

Banks Industry

Max: 4.75
Q3: 2.62
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Banks industry.

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

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

KO

67.13

Beverages Industry

Max: 78.96
Q3: 40.67
Median: 9.62
Q1: 3.59
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.

WFC

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks industry.

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

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	KO	WFC
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.21	--
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.84	--
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	1.73	2.01
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	67.13	--

Growth

Revenue Growth

KO vs. WFC: 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. WFC: 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

2.76%

Beverages Industry

Max: 6.93%
Q3: 4.51%
Median: 3.09%
Q1: 2.03%
Min: 0.00%

KO’s Dividend Yield of 2.76% is consistent with its peers in the Beverages industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

WFC

2.53%

Banks Industry

Max: 10.27%
Q3: 5.83%
Median: 3.81%
Q1: 2.50%
Min: 0.00%

WFC’s Dividend Yield of 2.53% is consistent with its peers in the Banks industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

KO

69.42%

Beverages Industry

Max: 143.36%
Q3: 99.22%
Median: 67.03%
Q1: 40.31%
Min: 0.00%

KO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 69.42% is within the typical range for the Beverages industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

WFC

31.00%

Banks Industry

Max: 147.07%
Q3: 80.55%
Median: 54.40%
Q1: 35.71%
Min: 0.00%

WFC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 31.00% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

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

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	KO	WFC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.76%	2.53%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	69.42%	31.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

KO

25.14

Beverages Industry

Max: 41.48
Q3: 28.35
Median: 19.09
Q1: 15.36
Min: 3.14

KO’s P/E Ratio of 25.14 is within the middle range for the Beverages industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

WFC

12.27

Banks Industry

Max: 20.05
Q3: 12.65
Median: 10.21
Q1: 7.54
Min: 2.74

WFC’s P/E Ratio of 12.27 is within the middle range for the Banks industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

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

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

KO

6.51

Beverages Industry

Max: 3.90
Q3: 2.38
Median: 1.54
Q1: 0.84
Min: 0.41

With a P/S Ratio of 6.51, 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.

WFC

1.91

Banks Industry

Max: 5.06
Q3: 2.98
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.45

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks industry.

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

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

KO

10.59

Beverages Industry

Max: 6.29
Q3: 3.58
Median: 2.19
Q1: 1.68
Min: 0.91

At 10.59, 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.

WFC

1.42

Banks Industry

Max: 2.18
Q3: 1.36
Median: 1.09
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.20

WFC’s P/B Ratio of 1.42 is in the upper tier for the Banks industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

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

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	KO	WFC
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	25.14	12.27
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	6.51	1.91
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	10.59	1.42
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	47.00	16.66