KO vs PEP – Compare 10-Year Total Returns & Dividend Growth of Coca Cola vs Pepsi

Compare the 10-year performance, dividend income and total return of two leading companies in the Beverage and Snacks field: The Coca-Cola Company (KO) and PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP).

The Coca-Cola Company KO | NYSE

$91.89 $0.11 | 0.12%

10 Year Returns (with DRIP): 201.2%

Dividend (Quarterly): $0.53

Dividend Yield (FWD): 2.31%

PepsiCo, Inc. PEP | NASDAQ

$128.38 -$0.89 | -0.69%

10 Year Returns (with DRIP): 63.1%

Dividend (Quarterly): $1.48

Dividend Yield (FWD): 4.61%

10 years returns for KO & PEP - dividends, price growth and total returns:

Stats below compares the performance of a $10,000 investment into each company 10 years ago, with dividends being automatically reinvested (DRIP) on the payout day, with no additional investments.

Here is a chart comparing the 10-year total returns of KO and PEP, shown side-by-side. These total return figures take into account dividend reinvestment and represent the value of all shares owned at each respective point in time.

Estimate Dividend Snowball and total future returns for KO and PEP with our dividend (DRIP) calculator.

The Coca-Cola Company (KO) and PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) are two names in the Beverages - Non-Alcoholic business, trading on NYSE and NASDAQ respectively. KO is roughly 2.2x PEP's size — a $395.4B market cap against $177.5B. Over the trailing twelve months, KO booked $50.1B in revenue against PEP's $96.9B. On price, KO has been the faster grower — a 8.25%/yr CAGR over the last 10 years versus 1.85%/yr for PEP. The numbers on this page — total returns of a $10,000 dividend-reinvested (DRIP) position, price history, dividend growth, valuation and growth — come straight from our market data.

KO vs PEP at a glance

Over the past 10 years, KO delivered the stronger run: a $10,000 position with dividends reinvested grew to $30,121, a 201.2% total return — far ahead of the same $10,000 in PEP, which reached $16,308 (63.1%). That is a 138.1-point spread, measured, not projected.

On the dividend side, KO pays $0.53 quarterly — a 2.31% yield at today's $91.89 price — while PEP pays $1.48 quarterly for a 4.61% yield at $128.38. Over the window, the $10,000 position collected $4,987 in KO dividends against $4,782 from PEP. PEP has raised its payout faster, compounding 7.18%/yr against 3.74%/yr for KO.

Every figure in this comparison is computed from DRIPCalc's own price and dividend history for KO and PEP — the same data behind every chart and calculator on this page.

Compare Earnings, Free Cash Flow, Dividend Payout Ratios and other metrics for KO vs PEP — or open each ticker's full history: KO, PEP.

Here are 5 year price charts for KO & PEP:

In the span of 10 years, the price of KO climbed 121%, from $41.6 to $91.89 — a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.25%.

In the span of 10 years, the price of PEP climbed 20%, from $106.85 to $128.38 — a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.85%.

Dividend payments and yield graphs for KO & PEP:

The 10-year window opened with KO paying $0.49 per share; the latest payment is $0.53 — a dividend CAGR of 3.74%. PEP went from $1.27 to $1.48 over the same stretch, a 7.18% CAGR.

Expanded Chart

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Charts above show historic dividend payments for each company, with the Dividend Yield curve overlaying the payments and the Dividend CAGR for the last 1, 2, 5 and 10 years. A rising yield curve means the price was cheap relative to the dividend at those payment dates; a sloping-down curve means the stock was getting more expensive relative to its dividends.

Based on KO's 10-year CAGR, it would take 19.25 years to double your dividend yield-on-cost.
Based on PEP's 10-year CAGR, it would take 10.03 years to double your dividend yield-on-cost.

Rule of 72: divide 72 by a growth rate to approximate the years it takes to double — the doubling times above come straight from each dividend CAGR on this page. One caution: extreme double-digit yields have historically often preceded dividend cuts.

Investing $10,000 in KO & PEP today: Estimated Future Return & Dividends:

Looking across up to ten years of history, KO achieved a share price compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.25%, accompanied by a dividend CAGR of 3.74%.

By the same measure, PEP recorded a share price CAGR of 1.85%, along with a dividend CAGR of 7.18%.

How a $10,000 investment could perform based on these historic CAGR numbers:

If you invest $10000 today into one of these companies, applying these CAGR figures forecasts the 10-year path of your initial investment, assuming dividends are continuously reinvested (DRIP), as detailed below:

And here is how your $10,000 investment into The Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo, Inc. could perform based on the CAGR figures above, represented on a graph - a Dividend DRIP Snowball:

Try our dividend DRIP calculator: KO or PEP - estimate your returns and dividend income!

Using our dividend calculator, you can customize initial investment, projected Dividend & Price growth rate, additional investment amount and frequency, to fit your investing style and goals.

The figures above are projections built on each stock's historical Dividend and Price CAGR under a DRIP assumption — estimations only, and actual returns will vary.

Latest price & signal check: KO vs PEP

KO$91.89

SIGNAL:|Oct 13 '26|RSI 70KO has a Trend Signal — Oct 13 '26 (2 days ago)

PEP$128.38

SIGNAL:|Aug 28 '26|RSI 45PEP has a Trend Signal — Aug 28 '26 (48 days ago)

Signal states are computed by our signals engine from price data — shown here as data points, not recommendations.

Longer-term price trends: KO vs PEP

KO last closed at $91.89, within 0.1% of its 52-week high of $91.99. The share price has gone up 37% over the last year, a 11%/yr pace over five years, compounded 8.2%/yr over the decade.

PEP last closed at $128.38, 24.7% below its 52-week high of $170.49. The share price has gone down 15.1% over the last year, a -4.2%/yr pace over five years, compounded 1.9%/yr over the decade.

Price CAGRs are computed from closing prices over each window — descriptive history, not a projection.

Earnings power: what KO and PEP actually earn

Over the trailing twelve months, KO earned $3.33 per share on $50.13B of revenue, while PEP earned $7.63 per share on $96.90B — KO's revenue base is barely half of PEP's.

KO compounded reported EPS at 11.1%/yr over 3 years (12.2%/yr over 5). Meanwhile PEP compounded reported EPS at 10.1%/yr over 3 years (5.2%/yr over 5). Both rates compare reported results with reported results — the forward view further down uses estimates against estimates.

Against expectations: KO beat GAAP-based street numbers in 5 of the last 8 quarters; PEP beat GAAP-based street numbers in 1 of the last 8 quarters.

Head-to-head: KO vs PEP across four metric families

Each family scores its own game — cheaper wins valuation, faster wins growth, higher wins profitability, cleaner wins cash quality. A cell is highlighted when the gap tops 3%; anything tighter is scored even.

* forward figures use street estimates for quarters past the last reported one (45-day window). Forward EPS growth = the next 4 quarters' street estimates over the last 4 quarters' street estimates (estimate over estimate, never estimates over reported actuals) — the same figure as each stock page's Company Overview. PEG = forward PE ÷ that growth (N/M under 2% growth). Forward PE is price over estimated earnings — the market convention.

Free cash flow: the money that's actually left over

KO generated $14.30B of free cash flow over the trailing twelve months — 54% more than PEP's $9.28B.

Per share, quarter by quarter — the cleaner lens once buybacks enter the picture:

Quality check — KO converts 100% of net income into free cash (up from -6% a year ago); PEP converts 89% of net income into free cash (steady vs a year ago). Above 100% means the business throws off more cash than its accounting profit suggests.

Capital intensity: capex eats 4.1¢ of every revenue dollar at KO — flat year over year; capex eats 4.3¢ of every revenue dollar at PEP — down from 5.6¢ a year ago.

The margin story: who keeps more of each sale

KO's net margin averaged 28.4% over the last four quarters vs 25.8% the year before — expanding. PEP's net margin averaged 11% over the last four quarters vs 8.5% the year before — expanding.

If the trends hold: a 5-year back-of-the-envelope for KO & PEP

If KO delivers the street's next-four-quarter EPS and compounds it at the estimate-over-estimate 8.3%/yr, still fetching 27x forward earnings in five years, the stock would trade near $126.17. A buyer demanding 15%/yr returns could pay up to $62.73 today (current price: $91.89).

PEP has no forecastable earnings line, so we extend its own price trend: at its historical 1.9%/yr price CAGR, $128.38 becomes $140.70 in five years; a 15%/yr hurdle prices that path at up to $69.95 today.

Caveat, prominently: these paths extrapolate street estimates and today's forward multiples for one ticker and the historical price trend alone five years into the future. Estimates get revised, multiples compress, trends bend, cycles turn — treat this as arithmetic, not prophecy.

Yield-on-cost, five years out

At today's 2.31% yield, five more years of KO's 3.74%/yr dividend growth would put the yield-on-cost at 2.78% of today's price. Meanwhile, at today's 4.61% yield, five more years of PEP's 7.18%/yr dividend growth would put the yield-on-cost at 6.52% of today's price.

KO vs PEP: quick answers