Shares in the soft drinks bottler, Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., fell to a 52-week low yesterday after the company reduced its earnings per share forecast for the first quarter of 2003 and consequently for 2003 as a whole.

Shares in the soft drinks company, the largest bottler of Pepsi-branded drinks in the world, closed yesterday at US$18.20, down US$3.99, or 18%, on the New York Stock Exchange. At one stage, the shares fell as low as US$17.