Coca-Cola Stock Gains on Q1 Earnings & Revenue Beat, Positive Trends

Core Insights - The Coca-Cola Company reported first-quarter 2025 results with revenues declining year over year but earnings per share (EPS) improving, indicating strong business momentum and effective pricing strategies [1][2][3] Financial Performance - Comparable EPS for the first quarter was 73 cents, a 1% increase from the previous year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 71 cents [2] - Revenues totaled $11.13 billion, down 2% year over year but slightly above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $11.12 billion; organic revenues rose 6% [3] - Operating income surged 71% year over year to $3.66 billion, with a comparable operating income increase of 4% to $3.79 billion [12] Volume and Pricing - Concentrate sales increased by 1% year over year, with a price/mix improvement of 5% [5] - Total unit case volume rose 2% year over year, driven by growth in China, Brazil, and India [7] - The trademark Coca-Cola category saw a 1% volume increase, with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar advancing 14% [8] Segment Performance - North America reported a 3% revenue increase, while EMEA saw a 1% rise; however, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Bottling Investments experienced revenue declines [11] - Organic revenues improved by 13% in Latin America and 3% in North America, with 7% growth in EMEA and Asia Pacific [11] Margin Analysis - The operating margin expanded significantly to 32.9% from 18.9% in the prior-year quarter, with comparable operating margin increasing to 33.8% [13] - Comparable currency-neutral operating income advanced 10% due to strong organic revenue growth and effective cost management [12] Guidance for 2025 - The company anticipates organic revenue growth of 5-6% for 2025, with comparable EPS growth expected to be 2-3% from the $2.88 reported in 2024 [14][15] - Management projects an adjusted free cash flow of $9.5 billion for 2025, with capital expenditure estimated at $2.2 billion [16]