Oct 27 (Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co (KO.N) raised its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday, suggesting that higher prices and demand for its sodas across the globe were helping it counter a profit squeeze from supply chain disruptions.
The beverage giant’s shares rose 3% in premarket trading as it also beat estimates for third-quarter revenue and profit.
Coca-Cola’s revenue rose 16% to $10.04 billion in the quarter, as the reopening of public venues such as theaters, stadiums and restaurants across the world led to a rebound in demand for its soft drinks.
Unit case volumes, a key indicator of demand, rose 6% in the reported quarter, with Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America markets being their major drivers.
The average value of products sold also rose 6%, after Coca-Cola raised prices to counter some of the impact from surging commodity and freight costs created by clogged shipping ports, a labor shortage and the pandemic.
Coca-Cola expects its annual adjusted earnings per share to rise 15% to 17%, compared with a prior forecast of a 13% to 15% increase.
On an adjusted basis, the company earned 65 cents per share in the third quarter, beating analysts’ estimates of 58 cents per share, according to IBES data from Refintiv.
Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva
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