Coca-Cola HBC AG delivered a strong set of results

Coca-Cola HBC AG (LON:CCH), a leading bottler of The Coca-Cola Company, reported its financial results for the six months ended 29 June 2018.

Half-year highlights

· Strong revenue growth, 6.4% in the first half on an FX-neutral basis; acceleration in the second quarter, supported by new product launches, good weather and the FIFA World Cup

· FX-neutral revenue per case increased by 1.8%, delivered through pricing, as well as continued improvements in category and package mix in all three segments

· Volume accelerated in the second quarter, resulting in 4.6% growth in the first half. Sparkling beverages volume was particularly strong, also up by 4.6%

– Established markets volume increased by 0.9%, with good performances in Greece and Ireland

– Strong growth in the Developing markets continues, with volume up 8.9%, led by Poland and Hungary

– Emerging markets delivered 5.1% volume growth, supported by a return to growth in Nigeria and Russia in the second quarter

· Revenue growth, coupled with cost control, resulted in a 60 basis point improvement in comparable operating expenses as percentage of net sales revenue

· Comparable operating profit margin increased by 60 basis points to 9.6%, notwithstanding a 30 basis point increase in marketing investments to support product launches and FIFA world cup activations; operating profit margin increased by 110 basis points to 9.4%

· Comparable earnings per share was €0.603 – a 4.7% increase on the prior-year period; basic earnings per share was €0.590 – a 12.2% increase

Zoran Bogdanovic, Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola HBC AG, commented:

“The evolution of our portfolio is gathering pace and gaining traction with customers across our markets. We have delivered a strong set of results as product launches and tailored commercial activation enabled us to capitalise on favourable market conditions and the FIFA World Cup. Revenue growth was excellent driven by both volume and price/mix improvements across all three of our geographic segments. Margins continue to improve as we keep our focus on driving top-line growth and cost control.

“We continue to make good progress against the 2020 targets and expect to deliver another year of revenue growth and improvement in margins.”

Coca-Cola HBC Group

Coca-Cola HBC is a leading bottler of The Coca-Cola Company with an annual sales volume of more than 2 billion unit cases. It has a broad geographic footprint with operations in 28 countries serving a population of approximately 600 million people. Coca-Cola HBC offers a diverse range of primarily non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in the sparkling, juice, water, sport, energy, tea and coffee categories. Coca-Cola HBC is committed to promoting sustainable development in order to create value for its business and for society. This includes providing products that meet the beverage needs of consumers, fostering an open and inclusive work environment, conducting its business in ways that protect and preserve the environment and contribute to the socio-economic development of the local communities. Coca-Cola HBC is ranked beverage industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe Indices, and is also included in the FTSE4Good Index.