Coca-Cola Enterprises swung to fourth-quarter volume as volume grew
By
Posted 12:53PM on Wednesday, January 29, 2003
ATLANTA - Coca-Cola Enterprises Incorporated, the largest bottler of Coca-Cola beverages, said day it swung to a profit in the fourth quarter on steady volume growth. <br>
<br>
The Atlanta-based company reported net income of $78 million, or 17 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $36 million, or eight cents a share, a year earlier. <br>
<br>
On a pro forma basis, which excludes a reduction in income taxes, Coca-Cola Enterprises said earnings were $62 million, or 13 cents a share. Analysts had expected earnings, excluding items, of 12 cents a share, according to Thomson First Call. <br>
<br>
Revenue climbed 7.7 percent to $4.25 billion from $3.94 billion. <br>
<br>
Consolidated volume, a performance measure in the soft-drink industry, grew 2.5 percent, with a two percent increase in North America and a 5.5 percent increase in Europe. <br>
<br>
Coca-Cola Company owns about 40 percent of Coca-Cola Enterprises. The bottler sells about 80 percent of Coke's bottle and can volume in North America, and is the sole licensed bottler for Coke's products in Belgium, France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco and the Netherlands.