Coca-Cola Reports 2% Global Volume Growth in Q3

16 Oct 2013 --- Third quarter volume grew 2% and year-to-date volume grew 2%. Coca-Cola Americas grew 1% in both the quarter and year to date and Coca-Cola International grew 3% in both the quarter and year to date.

Third Quarter and Year-to-Date 2013 Highlights
- Global value share gains achieved in the quarter in total nonalcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages and in core sparkling and still beverages.  
- Reported net revenues declined 3% in the third quarter and 2% year to date.  Excluding the impact of structural changes, comparable currency neutral net revenues grew 4% in the quarter and 3% year to date.
- Reported operating income declined 12% in the third quarter and 6% year to date.  Excluding the impact of structural changes, comparable currency neutral operating income grew 8% in the quarter and 6% year to date.
- Currency was a 2% headwind on comparable net revenues and a 5% headwind on comparable operating income in the quarter.
- Third quarter reported EPS was $0.54, up 8%, and comparable EPS was $0.53, up 4%, despite an approximate 5% currency headwind.  Year-to-date reported EPS was $1.52, down 2%, and comparable EPS was $1.62, up 4%, despite two fewer selling days in the first nine months of 2013 and an approximate 4% currency headwind.

NOTES
- All references to growth rate percentages, share and cycling of growth rates compare the results of the period to those of the prior year comparable period.
- “Concentrate sales” represents the amount of concentrates, syrups, beverage bases and powders sold by, or used in finished beverages sold by, the Company to its bottling partners or other customers.
- “Sparkling beverages” means NARTD beverages with carbonation, including energy drinks and carbonated waters and flavored waters.
- “Still beverages” means nonalcoholic beverages without carbonation, including noncarbonated waters, flavored waters and enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, sports drinks and noncarbonated energy drinks.
- All references to volume and volume percentage changes indicate unit case volume, except for the reference to volume included in the explanation of net revenue growth for North America.  All volume percentage changes, unless otherwise noted, are computed based on average daily sales.  “Unit case” means a unit of measurement equal to 24 eight-ounce servings of finished beverage.  “Unit case volume” means the number of unit cases (or unit case equivalents) of Company beverages directly or indirectly sold by the Company and its bottling partners to customers.
- For both North America and Bottling Investments Group, net revenue growth attributable to volume reflects the percentage change in “as reported” volume, which is based on as reported sales rather than average daily sales and includes the impact of structural changes, where applicable.  For North America, this volume represents Coca-Cola Refreshments' unit case sales (which are equivalent to concentrate sales) plus concentrate sales to non-Company-owned bottling operations.  
- Year-to-date 2013 financial results were impacted by two fewer selling days, and fourth quarter 2013 financial results will be impacted by one additional selling day.  Unit case volume results for the quarters are not impacted by the variance in selling days due to the average daily sales computation referenced above.  
- In January 2012, the Company announced that Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW), our joint venture with Nestlé in the ready-to-drink tea category, will focus its geographic scope primarily in Europe and Canada.  The joint venture was phased out in all other territories by the end of 2012, and the Company's agreement to distribute products in the United States terminated at the end of 2012.  We have eliminated the BPW and Nestlé licensed volume and associated concentrate sales for the year ended Dec. 31, 2012 in those countries impacted by these structural changes.
- As previously announced, effective Jan. 1, 2013, the Company transferred our India and South West Asia business unit from the Eurasia and Africa operating segment to the Pacific operating segment.  The countries included in our India and South West Asia business unit are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.  This change in organizational structure did not impact the other geographic operating segments, Bottling Investments or Corporate.  The reclassified historical operating segment data reflecting the change in organizational structure was disclosed in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 21, 2013.
- The Company reports its financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). However, management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide users with additional meaningful financial information that should be considered when assessing our ongoing performance.  Management also uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making financial, operating and planning decisions and in evaluating the Company's performance.  Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the Company's reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Our non-GAAP financial information does not represent a comprehensive basis of accounting.