While 2026 has been a roller coaster ride on Wall Street, shares of Coca-Cola (KO) have been positively effervescent — bubbling to record highs.
On July 28, 2026, shares of KO reached an all-time high after its latest earnings report demonstrated, once again, how strong and resilient its business is.
The beverage giant posted an adjusted EPS of $0.97 and $13.38 billion in revenue, exceeding analyst expectations. While stellar advertising during the FIFA World Cup contributed to its most recent success, Coca-Cola’s main advantages continue to be its growth and pricing power, including its ability to raise prices to offset inflation.
In fact, Coca-Cola seems to be operating in a different orbit than the volatile tech sector, which has faced dramatic corrections in 2026 over AI bubble and capex concerns. As investors seek refuge in more traditional consumer staples companies, shares of KO have climbed more than 26% so far this year.
But Coca-Cola isn’t only rewarding investors through share price appreciation. The company also has a long history of returning cash to shareholders through dividends.
In February, KO raised its annual dividend for the 64th consecutive year. That’s longer than most tech companies have been in business, and it helps to explain Coca-Cola’s enduring appeal — particularly in an increasingly uncertain market.
Here’s a closer look at the beverage giant’s dividend, including its per-share payout, yield, payout ratio, and future prospects.
Does Coca-Cola offer a dividend?
Yes. Coca-Cola offers a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, totaling $2.12 per year. This amounts to a yield of roughly 2.4% as of this article’s last update.
That’s more than double the current yield of the average stock in the S&P 500, making it particularly attractive to income investors.
How often does Coca-Cola pay dividends?
Coca-Cola pays dividends quarterly. On February 19, 2026, its board of directors approved an annual cash dividend of $2.12 per share for 2026, a 4% increase from the $2.04 per share it paid in 2025.
The annual dividend is to be paid in four quarterly installments of $0.53 per share. Its latest dividend is scheduled to be distributed on October 1, 2026, to shareholders of record as of September 15, 2026.
Related: Where is Coca-Cola’s headquarters? All about its Atlanta, GA base
Is Coca-Cola a dividend aristocrat?
Coca-Cola is more than a dividend aristocrat; it’s a dividend king. This title belongs to an elite group of companies that have raised their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years.
Coke has been increasing its dividend for 64 years. That’s pretty amazing given the number of recessions it has weathered.
More on Dow stocks:
- Does Walmart pay dividends? Its yield and payouts explained
- Is Boeing a good long-term investment? Its backlog explained
- IBM’s stock split history: Why Big Blue stopped splitting shares
Only a select group of companies — including Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Walmart (WMT), and Procter & Gamble (PG) — have earned dividend king status.
Related: History of Coca-Cola: Timeline, facts & milestones
Is Coca-Cola’s dividend safe?
A few metrics investors can use to gauge whether or not a company can support its payout are the payout ratio, free cash flow, and consistent profit growth.
- Consider Coke’s payout ratio of approximately 62% to 64% of its net earnings. That means the company holds on to more than one-third of its profits to reinvest in its business.
- When it comes to free cash flow, Coke is king — it projects $12.4 billion for 2026. This gives it plenty of room, not only to cover its annual dividends, which were around $8.8 billion in 2025, but also to facilitate share buybacks and pay down debt.
- The future means everything to Coca-Cola; after all, this was the company that created a corporate jingle about teaching the world to sing in harmony. In 2026, management increased its full-year outlook to a sizzling 9–10% EPS growth. For a 140-year-old consumer staples business, that kind of earnings growth is impressive — and refreshing.
