With apologies to Bob Dylan fans, anyone who bought Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR) at the start of 2014 should be singing about one more cup of coffee ... for their portfolio.
The K-Cup maker has been on a caffeine high this year. The stock is up more than 80%. The main reason? Coca-Cola has given Keurig its stamp of approval.
Coke bought a 10% stake in Keurig in February and raised it to 16% a few months later. Coke will partner with Keurig on an upcoming Keurig Cold machine, similar to SodaStream's do-it-yourself carbonated beverage maker.
Keurig has also impressed Wall Street by adding new partners to its K-Cup roster, including Kraft's Maxwell House and Gevalia brands. But the stock, which was the best performer in the S&P 500 for much of the year, has slumped lately. Keurig issued lackluster earnings guidance in November and announced that its CFO would be stepping down. -- PRL
