Here's How Long It Took Coca-Cola To Reach A $100B Market Cap

Coca-Cola KO is among the best-known brands in the world, and its stock has been a portfolio staple since not long after its 1919 IPO.

It's now among the giants in terms of market capitalization, having recently crossed the $250 billion market cap threshold. But it didn't happen overnight.

Long Road From The Drug Store To Wall Street Icon

Coca-Cola already had a long history before it went public.

Pharmacist John Pemberton created it in 1886 and took a jug of it to Jacob's Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta, where it was well received as "delicious and refreshing." Another pharmacist, Asa Griggs Candler, bought the business and incorporated it in 1892. The company was then sold in 1919 for $25 million to a group of investors led by Ernest Woodruff. Its IPO, at $40 per share, came later that year.

In 1985, Coke's market capitalization was still below $10 billion. It hit $50 billion near the end of 1991, and a few years later in 1995, hit the magic $100 billion mark. 

Total time from IPO to $100 billion: 76 years.

Coca-Cola's stock, which has split more than 10 times since its IPO, trades just under $60 per share at publication time.

See Also: Here's How Much Investing $100 In Coca-Cola Stock Back In 2010 Would Be Worth Today

Coke Market Cap Milestones

• Went Public: 1919, at $40 a share.
• Hit $100 Billion: December 1995.
• Market Cap Today: $255.8 billion.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash