Coca-Cola's profit falls - but the share rises

The American soft drink giant Coca-Cola's net profit fell to 2.85 billion dollars in the third quarter, from 3.09 billion a year earlier.

However, the decline was not as large as feared and Coca-Cola's share rose by 0.6 percent in futures trading on Wall Street.

Adjusted for one-off items, there was a 5 percent profit increase to 0.77 dollars per share in the third quarter. This can be compared to an average forecast of 0.74 dollars per share.

Coca-Cola's net sales during the quarter fell by 1 percent to 11.9 billion dollars, but analysts had on average expected 11.6 billion.

For the full year, Coca-Cola is revising its forecast for organic sales growth to 10 percent, which can be compared to an earlier forecast of 9-10 percent. The forecast for a 5-6 percent profit increase for the full year is simultaneously confirmed.