Companies and Brands

Can Pepsi Beat Coke on Earnings?

Pepsi brands 2014
Source: Pepsico Inc.
Wednesday morning, the age-old question of which is better, Coke or Pepsi, will be answered when PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) reports its fourth-quarter financial results. Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) reported its results Tuesday morning as $0.44 in earnings per share (EPS) and $10.87 billion in revenue, beating both top and bottom line estimates.

Thomson Reuters has consensus estimates for Pepsi as $1.08 in EPS and $19.66 billion in revenue. In the fourth quarter of the previous year, Pepsi reported $1.05 in EPS and $20.12 billion in revenue.

Comparatively, Pepsi has a market cap of $147 billion and Coke has a market cap of $186 billion.

Of the two companies, Coke currently looks a little better on paper. The company’s forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 21.13 and the price-to-book value is 5.40. Pepsi’s forward P/E is 20.57 and the price-to-book value is 6.22. Based on a consensus price target of $44.61, the potential upside in Coca-Cola stock is around 7.6%, based on Friday’s closing price of $41.45. At Pepsi’s consensus price target of $103.14 and Friday closing price of $96.71, its implied gain is 6.6%.

ALSO READ: Strong Dollar Sets Coca-Cola Profit Outlook in Line With 2014

When we looked at the bull and bear cases for the 30 Dow stocks, Coca-Cola was one of the poorer performers in 2014 with a dividend-adjusted gain of just 5.3%, compared with a return of 7.5% from the Dow 30. Coke has taken stakes in both Keurig Green Mountain Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) and Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST) in an effort to diversify. It is not a particularly risky move because Coke can buy the smaller company or companies if the partnership is a success or it can sell the stakes without too much damage.

Pepsi’s snack food business provided a third of the company’s $309 million year-over-year revenue growth in the third quarter and more than half the company’s profit growth in the same period. Pepsi has to figure out a way to overcome the weakness in Russia and Venezuela, and if that were easy it would be done by now.

Shares of Pepsi were up 2% at $97.93 in the last hour of trading Tuesday. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $103.14 and a 52-week trading range of $77.01 to $100.70.

Coke shares were up 3% at $42.47. The consensus price target is $44.61, and the 52-week trading range is $36.89 to $45.00.

ALSO READ: America’s Best Run Companies

ALERT: Take This Retirement Quiz Now  (Sponsored)

Take the quiz below to get matched with a financial advisor today.

Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.

Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future

Take the retirement quiz right here.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.