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May 11, 2012 - The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company primarily offers sparkling beverages and still beverages.

Still beverages comprise nonalcoholic beverages without carbonation, such as noncarbonated waters, flavored waters and enhanced waters, noncarbonated energy drinks, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and sports drinks. It also provides flavoring ingredients, sweeteners, powders for purified water products, beverage ingredients, and fountain syrups.

Coca-Cola sells under the Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia, and Del Valle brand names. The company offers its beverage products through company-owned or controlled bottling and distribution operators, as well as through independently owned bottling partners, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. The Coca-Cola Company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

- Latest News:
From Zacks: We have maintained our rating (Neutral) on The Coca-Cola Company with a target price of $81.00 following appraisal of first quarter 2012 results.

The Coca-Cola Company delivered adjusted operating earnings of 89 cents per share in the first quarter of 2012, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. Earnings were also above the prior-year adjusted earnings of 86 cents per share driven by strong revenue and volume growth which made up for margin declines.

In the quarter, net revenues increased 6% year over year to $11.1 billion, benefiting from an increase in concentrate (syrups, powders etc used in finished beverages) sales and positive price mix (3%). The results were above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.8 billion.

The cola giant witnessed volume growth (unit case volume) of 5% in the reported quarter with gains in all geographic regions as well as across all non-alcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages, whether sparkling (NARTD with carbonation) or still (NARTD without carbonation).

- Earnings Expectations:
Second quarter (14 analysts' consensus): $1.21 vs $1.17 last year
Third quarter (14 analysts' consensus): $1.10 vs $1.03 last year
Full year 2012: $4.10 (18 analysts' consensus)
Full year 2013: $4.49 (18 analysts' consensus)

- Important Numbers:
- Trailing P/E: 20.58
- Forward P/E: 17.24
- Price to sales ratio: 3.71
- Price to book: 5.32
- Operating margin: 23.43%
- Profit margin: 18.5%
- Return on equity: 26.7%
- Return on assets: 8.64%
- Revenues (last 12 months): $47.16 billion
- Total cash: $15.78 billion
- Cash per share: $6.99
- Total debt: $31.12 billion
- Debt to equity: 93.68%
- Current ratio: 1.13
- Book value per share: $14.54
- Beta: .49
- 52 week change: 13.54%
- Shares outstanding: 2.26 billion
- Float: 1.94 billion
- Insiders own: 4.99%
- Institutions own: 64.3%
- Dividend: $2.04
- Yield: 2.7%

- Company Web site: www.cocacola.com

Ted Allrich