Meet the Dividend King That's Quietly Crushing the S&P 500 in 2026. Here's Why It's a Buy This August.

Coca-Cola (KO) is highlighting the kind of large-cap performance that’s been rare in 2026. The company’s shares have risen more than 27% this year, nearly double the S&P 500’s 14.5% gain. The article points to Coca-Cola’s resilient, “asset-light” model after it restructured in the mid-to-late 2010s by divesting capital-intensive production like bottling plants and warehouses to local bottlers. That shift focused the business on concentrates and syrups plus large-scale marketing. In Q2, global case volume rose 5% year over year, revenue grew 7% to $13.4 billion, and adjusted net income increased 6% to nearly $4.2 billion, producing a 31% net margin. The piece also cites 64 years of dividend increases and $6.9 billion in free cash flow for the first half.