Can Coca-Cola continue to sparkle?

The Atlanta-based drinks giant has brand strength and pricing power

Fourth quarter and full year earnings (14 February 2023) from Coca-Cola (KO:NYSE) should confirm that the drinks giant sustained positive sales momentum in the final three months of 2022, and investors will be eager to see if consumers have continued to swallow price increases from the beverages behemoth. The $260.7 billion cap, whose brands span iconic soft drink Coke and the likes of Sprite, Fanta, Schweppes and Costa, upgraded guidance for 2022 following a sparkling third quarter in which price increases helped organic sales fizz 16% higher. Much hinges on the guidance Coca-Cola gives for 2023 and there will be interest around what chairman and CEO James Quincey has to say about commodity costs and the recent reopening of China. [JC]