7 of 8 Consumer Staples Companies Beat Earnings and Revenue Estimates During Results Week
Key Facts
Seven of the eight companies covered by Seeking Alpha’s third-quarter 2026 earnings roundup beat earnings-per-share estimates, while seven beat revenue estimates, reflecting stronger-than-expected performance among a selected group of consumer staples companies. The platform said Coca-Cola, Altria and Colgate-Palmolive each beat earnings and revenue estimates. Mondelez beat the earnings-per-share estimate but narrowly missed the revenue estimate. These figures cover the eight companies in the roundup and do not describe the entire sector. Alongside the results, the three companies raised annual guidance for different metrics, ranging from earnings-per-share growth to sales.
Coca-Cola posted year-over-year net revenue growth of 7% in the quarter, to $13.4 billion, while organic revenue rose 7%. The company attributed organic revenue growth to a 7% increase in concentrate sales and 1% growth in price and mix. Comparable earnings per share increased 11%, to $0.91. On the available year-over-year comparison, the company had posted 5% net revenue growth in the third quarter of 2025, to $12.5 billion, and 6% organic revenue growth; price and mix rose 6% then, while concentrate sales were flat. The company said comparable operating margin expansion benefited from organic revenue growth and foreign exchange, partly offset by higher marketing investment and operating expenses.
Coca-Cola raised its forecast for 2026 comparable earnings-per-share growth to at least 11%. At Altria, third-quarter net revenue was $6.132 billion, up 1.0% year over year, while adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 4.8% to $1.52. The company said adjusted earnings-per-share growth was driven mainly by higher adjusted operating income and adjusted earnings from its investment in ABI. Altria also announced a $1 billion expansion of its share repurchase program, which expires on December 31, 2027. The company said its annual guidance takes into account the continued effect of slower e-vapor market growth on combustible and vapor product volumes, as well as greater macroeconomic uncertainty among adult nicotine consumers.
Colgate-Palmolive’s net sales rose 4.6% to $5.369 billion in the third quarter, while diluted earnings per share from base business were $0.97, up 7% from the year-earlier period. The company said organic sales growth was 3.6%, with volume up 1.7% and pricing up 2.0%. Its 2026 net sales growth outlook narrowed to a range of 4%–5%, compared with a previous range of 2% to 6%. The company also raised its base business earnings-per-share growth outlook to 5%–7%, after previously expecting mid-single-digit growth. The revised guidance shows that companies are using different metrics: Coca-Cola raised its comparable earnings-per-share growth forecast to at least 11%, while Colgate revised its sales and base business earnings-per-share growth ranges.
Seeking Alpha expected seven other companies to report results the following week: Estée Lauder, Clorox, Archer Daniels Midland, Keurig Dr Pepper, Sysco, Kraft Heinz and Kimberly-Clark. The list places their reports on the earnings-season calendar following the sample’s results for the week, but remains a forecast of reporting dates according to the platform. The earlier sample included companies with different sources of earnings growth: higher concentrate sales and price and mix at Coca-Cola, improved volume and pricing at Colgate, and higher operating income and investment earnings at Altria. The results therefore combined estimate beats with updated guidance, while the factors companies cited to explain their results varied clearly.