The US-based soft drinks bottler, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), has confirmed its earnings target for the full year on the back of strong trading in Europe. The company has also forecast sustained growth for next year.
CCE said it expects earnings-per-share of between US$1.15 and US$1.22 for the full 2003 fiscal year, up from $1.03 in 2002. A Reuters poll of analysts predicted a profit of US$1.17 per share.
The company, which is 40%-owned by The Coca-Cola Company, said that sales of soft drinks, juices and bottled water in Europe had been buoyed by the summer heatwave.
