Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.
Coca-Cola (
KO) pushed the Food & Beverage industry higher today making it today's featured food & beverage winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 1%. By the end of trading, Coca-Cola rose 81 cents (2.1%) to $38.52 on average volume. Throughout the day, 19.9 million shares of Coca-Cola exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 14.6 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $37.71-$38.52 after having opened the day at $37.76 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $37.71. Other companies within the Food & Beverage industry that increased today were:
Leading Brands (
LBIX), up 6.3%,
SkyPeople Fruit Juice (
SPU), up 5.6%,
Omega Protein Corporation (
OME), up 5.5%, and
Molson Coors Brewing Company (
TAP.A), up 5.5%.
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The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company primarily offers sparkling beverages and still beverages. Coca-Cola has a market cap of $169.23 billion and is part of the consumer goods sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 18.8, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 4.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are 10 analysts that rate Coca-Cola a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and five rate it a hold.
TheStreet Ratings rates Coca-Cola as a
buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, growth in earnings per share, notable return on equity, reasonable valuation levels and good cash flow from operations. Although no company is perfect, currently we do not see any significant weaknesses which are likely to detract from the generally positive outlook.
On the negative front,
Central European Distribution (
CEDC), down 8.6%,
Reeds (
REED), down 7.1%,
Origin Agritech (
SEED), down 3%, and
Le Gaga Holdings (
GAGA), down 2.8%, were all laggards within the food & beverage industry with
Hain Celestial Group (
HAIN) being today's food & beverage industry laggard.
For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the food & beverage industry could consider
PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage (
PBJ) while those bearish on the food & beverage industry could consider
PowerShares DB Agriculture Sht ETN (
ADZ).
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