TOP NEWS: Coca-Cola Europacific set to buy bottler in Philippines

(Alliance News) - Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC has tentatively agreed to buy a soft drinks ...

Alliance News 2 August, 2023 | 7:56AM
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(Alliance News) - Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC has tentatively agreed to buy a soft drinks bottler in the Philippines, together with a local partner, from US brand owner Coca-Cola Co, the London-listed company said on Wednesday.

Coca-Cola EP also reported a strong set of half-year results, with profit up by nearly a quarter.

The Uxbridge, England-based company is the bottling partner for Coca-Cola in 29 countries. In 2021, Coca-Cola EP, which already had covered the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal, the Benelux region, and Sweden and Norway, bought Sydney-based Coca-Cola Amatil from its independent shareholders and Coca-Cola. This brought in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Coca-Cola EP said that, together with Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc, it has signed a letter of intent to buy Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc from Coca-Cola at an enterprise value of USD1.8 billion on a debt-free, cash-free basis.

The price tag would be paid in cash and would have a "modest impact" on Coca-Cola EP's debt, putting a leverage target that the company had set for itself back to 2024 from the end of 2023.

CCBPI had USD90 million in pretax profit in 2022 on revenue of USD1.7 billion.

Manila-based Aboitiz Equity Ventures is a conglomerate that operates in food, banking, power, infrastructure, and real estate.

Coca-Cola EP would own 60% of CCBPI and Aboitiz 40%. The company said there is no certainty that the deal will go through, but if it does, it should be completed by the end of 2023.

"This offers us a great opportunity to acquire an established, well-run business with attractive profitability and growth prospects. This would be a natural next step for CCEP, creating a more diverse footprint within our existing API business segment, support Indonesia's transformation journey and underpin our strategic mid-term objectives," said Chief Executive Officer Damian Gammell.

Turning to its interim results, Coca-Cola EP said pretax profit climbed 23% to EUR1.10 billion in the six months that ended June 30 from EUR898 million a year before, on revenue of EUR8.98 billion, up 8.5% year-on-year from EUR8.28 billion.

The company sold 1.63 billion unit cases of soft drinks, up 1.0% on a year before. A unit case is about 5.7 litres or 24 eight-ounce servings.

Based on the half-year results, Coca-Cola EP raised its 2023 guidance for revenue, operating profit and free cash flow. It now expects comparable revenue growth of 8% to 9%, improved from 6% to 8% previously. Operating profit is seen growing by 12% to 13%, compared to the 6% to 7% previously guided. It expects at least EUR1.7 billion in free cash flow, improved from EUR1.6 billion.

In the first half of the year, operating profit was EUR1.17 billion, up 21% on a year before or 11% on a comparable basis. Free cash flow was EUR850 million in the first half.

Coca-Cola EP already has paid a EUR0.67 per share interim dividend. It reaffirmed a 50% payout ratio for all of 2023.

Coca-Cola EP shares were down 0.2% at EUR57.40 in London early Wednesday.

By Tom Waite, Alliance News editor

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

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Securities Mentioned in Article

Security Name Price Change (%) Morningstar
Rating
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC 68.00 EUR -0.29 -
Coca-Cola Co 62.88 USD 0.05

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