Coca-Cola sales fall for fourth quarter on weak demand in Europe
Coke has been hurt as consumers increasingly turn health-conscious, cutting back on fizzy drinks and turning to teas, fruit juices and smoothies
Coca-Cola Co's sales fell for the fourth straight quarter as demand for its fizzy drinks declined in Europe and a strong dollar eroded the value of sales in markets outside the United States, including Latin America.
Shares of the maker of Sprite soda and Minute Maid juices fell about 1% to $46 in premarket trading on Wednesday.
Coke and rival PepsiCo Inc have been hurt as consumers increasingly turn health-conscious, cutting back on fizzy drinks and turning to teas, fruit juices and smoothies.
The rise in the dollar has also hit the companies, which have a sizeable presence in markets outside the United States, including China, Europe and Brazil.
The average value of the dollar rose 2.6% in the first quarter from a year earlier. The US currency had risen 18% gain in the first three months of 2015.
Coke's sales in Europe declined 1% to $1.20 billion in the quarter ended April 1, accounting for nearly 12% of total revenue.
The net income attributable to Coke`s shareholders fell 4.5% to $1.48 billion, or 34 cents per share.
Excluding items, Coke earned 45 cents per share, beating the average analyst estimate of 44 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net operating revenue fell 4% to $10.28 billion.
Excluding the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and currency movements, total revenue rose 2%.
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