Mexico City, October 25, 2019, Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: KOF UBL, NYSE: KOF) (“Coca-Cola FEMSA,” “KOF” or the “Company”), the largest Coca-Cola franchise bottler in the world by sales volume, announces results for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2019.
THIRD QUARTER OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Volumes increased in Brazil and Central America, while remaining stable in Mexico; transactions outperformed volumes in Argentina and Brazil.
- Revenues increased 10.3%, while comparable revenues grew 11.6%. Solid pricing, revenue management initiatives across our operations, volume growth in Brazil and Central America, and extraordinary other operating revenues related to tax reclaims in Brazil were partially offset by unfavorable currency translation effects mainly from the Argentine and Colombian Peso.
- Operating income increased 21.4%, while comparable operating income increased 22.8%. A favorable price mix, stable raw material prices, operating expense efficiencies, and extraordinary tax effects in Brazil were partially offset by higher concentrate costs and the depreciation of all of our operating currencies as applied to our U.S. dollar-denominated raw material costs.
- Earnings per share1 were Ps. 0.24 (Earnings per unit were Ps. 1.92 and per ADS were Ps. 19.17).
John Santa Maria, Coca-Cola FEMSA’s CEO, commented:
“I am encouraged by our positive operating performance across our divisions. In Mexico and Central America, our solid top-line growth was underscored by our resilient Mexico operation—where our affordability, portfolio innovation, and commercial initiatives are enabling us to drive price mix improvements—coupled with solid volume growth in Central America, driven by our improved route to market. In South America, I am pleased by the turnaround of our Brazilian operation, which continues to post solid volume performance, as it builds on two years of continuous growth. This is driven by our relentless focus on our consumers, resulting in market share gains across key categories. In addition, our Colombia operation’s single-serve affordability strategy is gaining traction as we focus on the profitability of our portfolio.
Moreover, we were selected for the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index, reaffirming our commitment and challenging us to continue evolving our sustainability strategy.
As we approach the final stretch of the year, we are encouraged that our fundamental transformation has a long runway, which commits us to working extensively to continue delivering value for all of our stakeholders.”
(1) Quarterly earnings / outstanding shares. Earnings per share (EPS) for all periods are adjusted to give effect to the stock split resulting in 16,806.7 million shares outstanding. For the convenience of the reader, as a KOF UBL Unit is comprised of 8 shares (3 Series B shares and 5 Series L shares), earnings per unit are equal to EPS multiplied by 8. Each ADS represents 10 KOF UBL Units.
(2) According to IFRS 5, figures for 2018 do not include the Philippines as it is presented as a discontinued operation as of January 1, 2018.
(3) Please refer to page 9 for our definition of “comparable” and a description of the factors affecting the comparability of our financial and operating performance.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
- Following a favorable decision from Brazilian tax authorities, Coca-Cola FEMSA has been entitled to reclaim tax payments made in prior years in Brazil, resulting in an extraordinary positive effect on its third-quarter results, affecting mainly other operating revenues and other operating expenses, net. The total net amount of extraordinary tax effects in Brazil in the operating income is Ps. 1,139 million for the period.
- On October 19, 2019, Coca-Cola FEMSA announced its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index for the seventh consecutive year and its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability MILA Pacific Alliance Index for the third consecutive year, confirming its sustainability commitment and leadership.
- On November 1, 2019, Coca-Cola FEMSA will pay the second installment of the 2018 dividend approved for Ps. 0.4425 per share (equivalent to Ps. 3.54 per unit).
- As of November 2019, Maria Dyla Castro, who has served as Investor Relations Director at Coca-Cola FEMSA since October 2016, took on new responsibilities as Director of Global Business Services for the Finance area.
Jorge Collazo, who has been Investor Relations Manager since October 2016 and has worked in the company since 2014, has been appointed the new Head of Investor Relations.
COMPARABILITY
In an effort to provide our readers with a more useful representation of our company`s underlying financial and operating performance, we are including the term “Comparable.” This means, with respect to a year-over-year comparison, the change of a given measure excluding the effects of: (i) mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, including acquisitions made in Guatemala and Uruguay as of May and July 2018, respectively; (ii) translation effects resulting from exchange rate movements; and (iii) the results of hyperinflationary subsidiaries in both periods: Argentina’s results from 2019 and 2018. In preparing this measure, management has used its best judgment, estimates, and assumptions in order to maintain comparability.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Stock listing information: Mexican Stock Exchange, Ticker: KOF UBL | NYSE (ADS), Ticker: KOF | Ratio of KOF UBL to KOF = 10:1
Coca-Cola FEMSA files reports, including annual reports and other information with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the “SEC,” and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, or the “BMV”) pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC (that apply to foreign private issuers) and of the BMV. Filings we make electronically with the SEC and the BMV are available to the public on the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, the BMV’s website at www.bmv.com.mx and our website at www.coca-colafemsa.com.
Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. is the largest Coca-Cola franchise bottler in the world by sales volume. The Company produces and distributes trademark beverages of The Coca-Cola Company, offering a wide portfolio of 131 brands to a population of more than 257 million. With over 83 thousand employees, the Company markets and sells approximately 3.3 billion unit cases through close to 2 million points of sale a year. Operating 49 manufacturing plants and 275 distribution centers, Coca-Cola FEMSA is committed to generating economic, social, and environmental value for all of its stakeholders across the value chain. The Company is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index, Dow Jones Sustainability MILA Pacific Alliance Index, FTSE4Good Emerging Index, and the Mexican Stock Exchange’s IPC and Social Responsibility and Sustainability Indices, among others. Its operations encompass franchise territories in Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia, and Argentina, and, nationwide, in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay, and Venezuela through its investment in KOF Venezuela. For further information, please visit www.coca-colafemsa.com