EXECUTION DRIVES TOP-LINE AND MARGIN EXPANSION

Coca-Cola HBC AG,  a leading bottler of The Coca-Cola Company, reports its financial results for the full year ended 31 December 2015.

Full-year highlights

• Underlying trends in volume growth continued to be strong in the fourth quarter leading to a 2.6% increase in reported volume for the year
  • Established markets returned to growth for the first time in five years, with good performances in Italy and Greece
  • Volumes grew in all countries in the Developing markets segment with particularly positive trends in Poland and Hungary
  • Double-digit growth in Nigeria, Romania and Ukraine helped drive volume in the Emerging markets segment up by 2.5%, despite the anticipated mid single-digit decline in Russia
  • Volume growth in all key categories except for RTD Tea
• FX-neutral net sales revenue per case developed positively in the fourth quarter, resulting in a marginal increase for the full year; deflation in Europe and affordability concerns in certain markets limited pricing opportunities in the Established and Developing market segments, largely offsetting the pricing actions taken in Emerging markets
• Net sales revenue declined by 2.5% after a -5.1% adverse foreign exchange impact
• Comparable EBIT was €473.2 million – up 11.4%; comparable EBIT margin expanded by 100 basis points; pricing actions in certain countries, favourable input costs and volume leverage, particularly in Established and Developing markets, more than offset the significant adverse impact from currencies, primarily the Russian Rouble
• Increased profits and further improvements in working capital helped generate €411.8 million of free cash flow for the year bringing the 2013-2015 free cash flow to €1.16 billion
• On a reported basis, EBIT increased by 15.8% to €418.2 million; net profit was €280.3 million
• Comparable EPS increased by 13.5% to €0.864; reported EPS declined by 4.7% to €0.771
• The Board of Directors proposes a €0.40 dividend per share, a 11.1% uplift on the 2014 dividend

*Net Profit and Comparable Net Profit refer to net profit and comparable net profit respectively after tax attributable to owners of the parent. 

Dimitris Lois, Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola HBC AG, commented:

"I am pleased with our progress in 2015; volumes grew in all segments for the first time in five years and margins have improved significantly. Our commercial initiatives supported volume expansion and we made further efficiency gains to ensure continued profitable growth.

"Conditions in Europe are slowly improving while countries with large oil exposure face ongoing difficult trading conditions. Going into 2016 we will continue to take action to address the challenges on a country by country basis. Overall we think the business is well placed to build further on both the volume growth and margin expansion achieved in 2015.”

Results for the year ended 31 December 2015 - EXECUTION DRIVES TOP-LINE AND MARGIN EXPANSION