Food and beverage · 26/36 against 21/36 checks · to 2026-09-08
KO vs MNST.
Coca-ColaSells concentrate and syrup to bottlers for the world's best-known drinks.
Monster BeverageSells Monster energy drinks, distributed mostly by Coca-Cola bottlers.→Coca-Cola (KO) is 9.0 times the size of Monster Beverage (MNST) at $380.2B against $42.3B, and on the filings Coca-Cola passes more, 26 checks of 36 against 21.
Which passes more checks?
widest gap first→The two are furthest apart on Trend analysis, where Coca-Cola passes 4 more of the six.
| KO | MNST | |
|---|---|---|
| Trend analysis | 5/6 | 1/6 |
| Shareholder returns | 6/6 | 3/6 |
| Value | 1/6 | 3/6 |
| Growth | 4/6 | 5/6 |
| Health | 4/6 | 3/6 |
| Quality | 6/6 | 6/6 |
| All checks | 26/36 | 21/36 |
→Coca-Cola turns over $49.3B to Monster Beverage's $9.2B, 5.3 times as much. Coca-Cola keeps 27.8% of revenue as profit against 23.1% at Monster Beverage.
Which hands more back to owners?
→Coca-Cola pays 2.3% at today's price and Monster Beverage effectively pays nothing, which is the clearest difference in what each hands back.
| KO | MNST | |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.3% | - |
| Payout ratio | 64.1% | - |
| Years of unbroken dividend | - | - |
Which is cheaper?
→Monster Beverage is the cheaper of the two on earnings, 20.0x against 27.8x. Against their own histories, Coca-Cola is above its 22.2x median and Monster Beverage is above its 17.8x.
| KO | MNST | |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $88.36 | $43.15 |
| Market cap | $380.2B | $42.3B |
| P/E | 27.8x | 20.0x |
| P/E, own median own 11-year median / own 11-year median | 22.2x | 17.8x |
| P/S | 7.7x | 4.6x |
| Free cash flow yield | 3.3% | 5.0% |
Which is growing faster, KO or MNST?
→Monster Beverage grew revenue faster last year, +20.4% against +5.1% at Coca-Cola - 15 points apart. Over three years the order is reversed: Monster Beverage compounds at +9.5% against +3.7%.
| KO | MNST | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue (TTM) | $49.3B | $9.2B |
| Revenue growth, 1 year | +5.1% | +20.4% |
| Revenue CAGR, 3 years | +3.7% | +9.5% |
| Net income (TTM) | $13.7B | $2.1B |
| Free cash flow (TTM) | $12.6B | $2.1B |
Which balance sheet is stronger?
| KO | MNST | |
|---|---|---|
| Debt / equity | 1.16x | - |
| Interest coverage | 8.8x | - |
| Cash and short-term investments | $12.9B | $3.4B |
Which keeps more of each sale?
→Coca-Cola keeps more of each sale: gross margin of 61.7% against 55.5%, a gap of 6 points that flows into everything below it.
| KO | MNST | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 61.7% | 55.5% |
| Operating margin | 29.3% | 29.2% |
| Return on equity | 40.7% | 22.7% |
Where they differ most
the checks behind the gapTrend analysis: Coca-Cola 4 ahead
- Price above the Kumo cloud $88.36 against a cloud top of $85.67
- Tenkan above the Kijun Tenkan $89.94 above the Kijun $88.83, 57 sessions since they crossed
- The Senkou cloud ahead is rising the Senkou spans already drawn for the next 26 sessions are rising
- Price above the Kumo cloud $43.15, below the cloud bottom of $46.45
- Price above the Tenkan and the Kijun $43.15 against the Tenkan (9 sessions) at $45.97 and the Kijun (26) at $46.12
- Tenkan above the Kijun Tenkan $45.97 below the Kijun $46.12, 5 sessions since they crossed
Shareholder returns: Coca-Cola 3 ahead
- Share count isn't climbing shares down 0.9% over 3 years
- Buybacks outpace the stock issued to staff $853M bought back vs $272M of stock compensation
- What it hands back fits inside its cash flow 94.1% vs 100.0%
- Meaningful yield to owners (dividends and buybacks) $221M returned, 0.5% of market value
- Buybacks are sustained, not one-off $221M bought back in the last twelve months, 0.00 the year before; no dividend
- Buybacks growing $221M vs 0.00 the year before; no dividend