12 Best Dow Stocks to Buy in 2026

7. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 78

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is among the best Dow stocks to own.

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.