Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Can I have your recommendation on Coca-Cola?

Article Excerpt

The Coca-Cola Company, $54.91, symbol KO on New York (Shares outstanding: 2.3 billion; Market cap: $126.6 billion), is the world’s largest beverage company. It distributes its major brands (including Coca-Cola, diet Coke, Sprite, Barq’s, Mr. PiBB, Fanta, Fresca, Dasani, Evian, Danone, Powerade and Minute Maid) through bottlers around the world. Coke gets roughly 75% of its sales from outside of North America. In the three months ended December 31, 2009, Coke’s revenue rose 5.3%, to $7.5 billion from $7.1 billion a year earlier. Earnings rose 54.7%, to $1.5 billion, or $0.66 a share, from $995 million, or $0.43 a share. Worldwide sales volumes rose 5%, led by 6% growth outside of North America. That offset 1% sales in North America. Coke is now buying the North American operations of its largest bottler, Coca-Cola Enterprises, for $12 billion. The move follows rival PepsiCo’s $7.8-billion purchase of its two largest North American bottlers. The purchase will let Coke cut costs. It will also…