The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is a multinational company that produces and markets soft drinks. The company gets its name after its key product – the Coke soft drink.
In total, it offers about 500 world-known beverage brands, including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, Fanta, POWERADE, Ciel and more, with the company's overall portfolio including over 3,000 products. These are marketed in more than 200 countries worldwide.
“125 years of sharing happiness”, that’s one of the slogans behind the world-famous beverage that began its journey in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia, the USA. It was originally created by John S. Pemberton as a medicinal product and was mixed carbonated water at the pharmacy at which it was sold. However, soon it became a popular beverage. The catchy brand-name, along with initial design, is credited to Frank Robinson, Pemberton’s business partner.
Before his death in 1888, after enjoying some success with his creation, Pemberton sold the majority of shares in the company. The main part of which was picked up by Asa G. Candler, a businessman who was influential in expanding the brand’s success.
As initially, Coke wasn’t sold in bottles, but instead in glasses, the idea to bottle the product was a revolution in the beverage industry. Joseph Biedenharn was one of the first original ‘bottlers’, however it wasn’t until 1899, 5 years after Biedenharn’s innovation that the bottling rights for the product were sold to 3 businessmen from Tennessee.
Since that time the company has continued to develop, expanding their product range and merging with other companies, such as JTL Corporation, BCI Holding Corporation and Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group, to consolidate their empire.
The common ingredients of Coke are well-known and similar to other carbonated beverages:
However, it’s the final piece of the puzzle – natural flavourings – that has caused the recipe behind the product to be known one of the world’s best-kept secrets. But where is the original held?
The original copy of the formula is held by the SunTrust Bank – underwriters behind Coca-Cola’s IPO –, formerly at their main vault in Atlanta and more recently (from December 2011) in a vault on display to the general public at the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta.
Speaking of the company’s shares, on the US markets Coca-Cola is traded under two tickers on two different exchanges – the New York Stock Exchange (KO) and the NASDAQ (COKE). The difference is easily explained, the Coca-Cola corporation sells the rights of their beverages to licensed bottlers, separate entities that produce and bottle the product. That’s why it is traded under two different tickers.
The shares sold on the NYSE – ticker: KO – are the shares of the original company, whereas COKE shares – traded on the NASDAQ – refer to those of the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated.
Despite being separate entities, the two are closely financially connected with KO owning 35% of COKE’s shares.
The Coca-Cola Company is traded in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), explore the Coca-Cola share price and discover the KO chart with Capital.com.
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