Companies that make shareholders wealthy must be efficient and profitable, and Coca-Cola meets both criteria. In a given year, the company converts roughly 20% to 30% of its sales into free cash flow and earns a solid 15% return on invested capital. In other words, good things happen when Coca-Cola invests in the business.

Shares of Coca-Cola Co. KO slid 1.52% to $60.81 Monday, on what proved to be an all-around mixed trading session for the stock market, with the S&P 500 Index SPX rising 0.55% to 5,975.38 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA falling 0.