Coca-Cola(US:KO) Zhong Guo Xin Wen Wang·2026-01-14 11:39Core Viewpoint - Coca-Cola has abandoned the sale of Costa Coffee due to private equity bids falling short of expectations, concluding a months-long auction process [1] Group 1: Sale Decision - Coca-Cola set the sale price for Costa Coffee at approximately £2 billion, which is about half of the £3.9 billion paid to Whitbread Group for the acquisition in 2018 [1] - The company terminated negotiations with remaining bidders in December last year [1] Group 2: Leadership Changes - Coca-Cola's Chief Operating Officer, Henrique Braun, is set to replace James Quincey as CEO in March [1] - There is a possibility that the company may revisit the sale of Costa Coffee in the medium term [1] Group 3: Performance Issues - James Quincey acknowledged in July that Costa Coffee has not delivered the expected results for Coca-Cola [1] - Costa Coffee faces competition from both higher-end independent coffee shops and lower-priced competitors like Greggs [1]