Coca-Cola’s Organic Revenue Grows 3% In Q3; Results Marred By Structural Changes

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Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) reported its Q3 results on October 26, and it was another quarter where negative currency translations and structural changes hindered top line growth. Organic revenue rose 3% year-over-year in Q3, but net revenue declined 7% due to a 2 percentage point impact of currency fluctuations and a larger 8% impact of acquisitions, divestitures, and other structural effects.

Coca-Cola is moving away from a capital-intensive organization with its intended refranchising plans for North America, China, and structural changes in Europe and Africa. The company is looking to refranchise two-thirds of its bottling territories in North America by the end of 2017, and a substantial portion of the remaining territories no later than 2020, in a bid to move away from the capital intensive and low-margin business of distribution. All this in hopes to improve operating performance. Coca-Cola signed six definitive agreements and closed four transactions recently, thereby remaining on track to complete its refranchising efforts in North America by the end of 2017.

KO Q&A 22

Two of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in Japan, Coca-Cola West and Coca-Cola East Japan, reached an agreement to merge their operations and create one strong bottling unit, which will comprise 85% of Coca-Cola’s volume in the country. In the start of the third quarter, Coca-Cola announced that it had completed the Coca-Cola European Partners and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa transactions, and the transfer of certain territories in the United States to Arca Continental, and Coke’s UNITED bottlers. Furthermore, the company has reached a long-term agreement with Arca Continental for joint value creation in Mexico.

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Coca-Cola has been able to maintain solid margin through the first three quarters of the year boosted by increased pricing, favorable geographic mix, lower commodity costs, and productivity initiatives. The company’s operating margin rose to 22.4% through September, up 140 basis points year-over-year. Coca-Cola might have recorded a decline in revenue over the last few quarters, but this is because the company is in transition. The positive for the company remains its solid organic growth, which is expected to continue into Q4.

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Notes:

1) The purpose of these analyses is to help readers focus on a few important things. We hope such lean communication sparks thinking, and encourages readers to comment and ask questions on the comment section, or email content@trefis.com
2) Figures mentioned are approximate values to help our readers remember the key concepts more intuitively. For precise figures, please refer to our complete analysis for Coca-Cola

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