New York, Jan 6, 2026, 15:26 EST — Regular session
- Coca-Cola shares edged lower in afternoon trading, extending an early-2026 slide
- The stock fell 1.7% on Monday even as broader U.S. indexes gained
- Traders are watching Friday’s U.S. jobs report and the company’s next earnings update for 2026 guidance
Coca-Cola Co shares (KO) were down 0.1% at $67.87 in afternoon trading on Tuesday.
The stock is coming off a 1.7% drop on Monday, its fourth straight daily decline, and has lagged rivals in recent sessions. PepsiCo fell 1.6% on Monday, while Starbucks rose 3.1% and Mondelez edged up, MarketWatch data showed.
The softness in defensive names such as Coca-Cola has come as the wider market leaned on tech and healthcare, with chip stocks jumping on renewed artificial-intelligence optimism and the Dow hitting a record. “We’re going to have a very strong earnings season for Big Tech,” said Jed Ellerbroek, a portfolio manager at Argent Capital. Reuters
Macro data is also in focus: the U.S. jobs report for December is due at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, following JOLTS job openings data on Wednesday, the Labor Department’s release schedule showed.
For Coca-Cola, investors are also looking ahead to the next set of results for updated demand and pricing signals and, crucially, the company’s full-year 2026 outlook. The company said in its most recent quarterly release that it plans to provide full-year 2026 guidance when it reports fourth-quarter earnings.
Coca-Cola has not announced an earnings date yet, but earnings calendars currently point to around Feb. 10.
A risk for the stock is that firmer economic data keeps interest rates higher for longer, which can pressure dividend-paying consumer staples and weigh on valuations across the sector. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin said on Tuesday the central bank needs “careful” adjustments as it weighs risks to both inflation and employment. Reuters
Next up, traders will parse the U.S. jobs report on Jan. 9 and then look to mid-January Fed signals, including the Beige Book on Jan. 14, before the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 meeting.
