If You Invested $1,000 In Coca-Cola Stock When Warren Buffett Did, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
Key takeaways
- Buffett’s 1988 Coca‑Cola buy turned a $1,000 stake into nearly $34,000 today—showing the upside of long‑term, high‑quality investing.
- 14,172,500 shares purchased in 1988
- average purchase price $41.81
- 400 million shares owned now
What happened
In 1988 Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, bought 14,172,500 shares of Coca‑Cola at an average price of $41.81 per share. The company has since added to that stake, now holding about 400 million shares—roughly 11 % of Berkshire’s portfolio and more than 9 % of Coca‑Cola’s outstanding shares.
Why it matters
Buffett’s initial purchase marked one of his largest public‑company bets and set the stage for a long‑term, high‑return investment. The growth of the stake illustrates Berkshire’s commitment to quality, durable businesses and provides a benchmark for investors considering similar long‑term holdings.
Short-term and longer-term
Short-term. Short‑term traders might note that Coca‑Cola’s price has been relatively stable, with a current level of $88.20 per share.
Longer-term. For long‑term investors, the Coca‑Cola story reinforces the merit of buying quality, dividend‑paying stocks and holding them for decades.