London, Feb 16, 2026, 11:27 GMT — Regular session
Coca-Cola HBC AG (CCH.L) slipped 0.9% to 4,664 pence in London on Monday, lagging the stronger market backdrop. Shares moved within a 4,630 to 4,693.1 pence range during the session, sitting just below their 52-week peak of 4,738. (Investing)
This shift comes as investors are still working through Coca-Cola HBC’s bullish profit-growth forecast for 2026—news that triggered a jump in the shares last week. The company projected organic operating profit would climb 7%-10% this year; that landed well with J.P. Morgan analysts, who had braced for a more cautious tone. “We are constantly monitoring consumer sentiment,” CEO Zoran Bogdanovic told Reuters, noting just how much it can swing between markets. (Reuters)
Investors are turning to management’s read on demand and pricing as they head into meetings this week. According to the investor relations site, Zurich-Geneva hosts the first roadshow Monday, with Frankfurt booked for Tuesday, and a South Africa IR roadshow running Feb. 18-20. (CCH Group Website)
Coca-Cola HBC, which bottles Coca-Cola products in several European and African markets, logged 8.1% organic revenue growth for 2025, with organic volumes climbing 2.8%. The board pitched a 1.20 euro per share ordinary dividend for 2025—a 17% increase. Bogdanovic warned the “macroeconomic and geopolitical environment” will likely “remain challenging in 2026”. (CCH Group Website)
“Organic” numbers exclude currency moves and structural shifts like acquisitions, letting analysts zero in on core performance. For firms exposed to wild currency moves or inflation, that’s the metric investors usually watch.
Traders are watching to see if the company can continue raising prices and tweaking its mix without killing volumes—especially in emerging markets, where demand can fade fast when household budgets get squeezed.
If consumers pull back further, if currencies swing hard, or if input and packaging costs climb again, the stock could easily get rattled. A stumble in volumes would only tighten the focus on costs—and pressure on operating margins would follow.
Investors want more granular clues about 2026 trading now that annual guidance is out, with attention zeroing in on the company’s pace in higher-margin categories—even as it continues to pour money into marketing and execution.
Coca-Cola HBC will deliver its first-quarter trading update on May 7—a key date for investors. (CCH Group Website)
