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.

Coca-Cola’s brand and global reach keep it steady, especially with strong sales in international markets. Click here to find out why I'm neutral on KO stock.

Shares of Coca-Cola Co. KO slid 0.67% to $61.84 Thursday, on what proved to be an all-around grim trading session for the stock market, with the S&P 500 Index SPX falling 0.22% to 5,868.55 and Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA falling 0.36% to 42,392.27.

Warren Buffett is probably the most famous investor alive today, drawing followers who want to replicate his success. But, oddly enough, his investing portfolio is replete with what the market would label "boring" stocks,