The US-based soft drinks group, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE), the largest bottler of Coke brands in the world, reported that its unit case volumes had risen by 2.5% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. The company has also reaffirmed its earnings forecast for the full year.
CCE, which is 40%-owned by the Coca-Cola Company, said that volumes were 1.5% up in North America and 5.5% higher in European territories. The news prompted a 7.2% rise in the company’s share price.
The Atlanta-based bottler has forecast full-year earnings of US$1.15 to US$1.22 per share. Analysts’ forecasts have put 2003 earnings at around US$1.18 per share, according to research firm Thomson First Call.
