Coca-Cola Latin America president to present at consumer analyst conference

Ahead of the Bell: Coca-Cola to present at CAGNY

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Coca-Cola Co. will present at a consumer analyst conference Friday in Florida.

The world’s largest beverage maker said Jose Octavio Reyes, president of the company’s Latin America group, will speak at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in the morning.

The conference, known as CAGNY, brings in the nation’s largest food, beverage and consumer products companies to talk with analysts about what to expect for the year.

The Atlanta company said recently that profit rose 55 percent in the last three months of the year as international sales helped buffer softening sales in North America.

The maker of Sprite and Simply juices sold 5 percent more beverages worldwide in its fourth quarter — with unit case volume up sharply in emerging markets like China and India, and solid growth in Latin America, where economies are growing rapidly.

The only region to report a case volume decline was North America, which had a 1 percent drop-off — a sign that those consumers are still wary about their spending.