Wells Fargo Adds Coca-Cola (KO) to Q1 2026 Tactical Ideas List

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is included among the 12 Best DOW Stocks to Buy in 2026.

On January 5, Wells Fargo analyst Chris Carey added The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) to the firm’s Q1 2026 Tactical Ideas List. Wells said it likes how the stock is set up heading into early 2026. The firm stressed this is not a call on Q4 2025 or full-year 2026 guidance. Instead, its 2026 Year Ahead work points to improving US trends for Coca-Cola, with data expected to accelerate and potentially look best-in-class as year-over-year comparisons ease into the summer. Wells has an Overweight rating on the shares and a $79 price target.

What stands out is how well The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is performing even as consumers remain cost-conscious and questions linger around the healthfulness of packaged food and drinks. Through the first nine months of 2025, organic sales rose 5%, while volume increased 1%. That kind of performance speaks to the strength of the brand and its pricing power.

The company’s consistency shows up clearly in its dividend record. Coca-Cola is a Dividend King, with more than 60 straight years of annual dividend increases. Its scale matters, too. It ranks as the fourth-largest consumer staples company in the world and competes comfortably with any peer on brand strength, marketing reach, distribution, and innovation.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) operates across multiple regions, including Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, and Asia Pacific.

While we acknowledge the potential of KO as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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