| Earnings Scorecard |
| Actual | Estimated* | Year-Ago |
| $0.38 | $0.38 | $0.31
|
 |
Coca-Cola (KO Quote - Cramer on KO - Stock Picks) posted fourth-quarter earnings in line with analysts' expectations Wednesday morning and reiterated earnings expectations for 2001, saying it was "poised for a strong year."
The Atlanta-based beverage giant said fourth-quarter earnings were $242 million, or 38 cents a share, compared with a loss of $45 million, or 31 cents a share, in the year-ago period before write-downs and special items. Fifteen analysts polled by
First Call/Thomson Financial produced a consensus estimate of 38 cents a share.
Sales for the quarter dipped slightly to $4.9 billion, from $4.93 billion last year.
Coke also said it remains comfortable with previous estimates for 2001 earnings and expects them to fall between $1.67 and $1.80 a share. First Call analysts are calling for 2001 earnings of $1.73 a share, compared with actual earnings of $1.44 a share in 2000 and $1.29 a share in 1999.
Shares of Coca-Cola, which have traded in a 52-week range of $42.88 and $64, closed at $57.91 on Tuesday on the
New York Stock Exchange.
Yi Ping Ho
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