At the same time, Dr. Pepper Snapple is seeing its fair share of troubles to start the year. The company's sales are flat over the first nine months, and operating income has actually declined during the first three quarters of 2013.
While Coca-Cola and Pepsi have delivered strong results for their shareholders for many years, what matters for investors is what the future holds. And when it comes to Coca-Cola and Pepsi, the vastly different strategies laid out by each company's management teams mean there may be a clear choice going forward.