Coca-Cola says to invest over $4 billion in China in 2015-2017

The Coca-Cola Co (KO) said it will invest over $4 billion in China and build new plants between 2015 and 2017, to counter competition which is chipping away at its share of the country's 421 billion yuan ($69.12 billion) soft drinks market.

The investment will add to the $4 billion that the world's largest drinks maker has earmarked for China in 2012-2014, said Asia-based spokeswoman Sharolyn Choy, confirming a Bloomberg report earlier on Friday. The beverage maker is also open to deals with local firms, Choy said. Analysts said this could help it play the trend in China toward more local-style herbal teas and healthier drinks.

Chinese consumers are increasingly opting for healthier alternatives in food and drink, which has hit growth for fast food chains such as McDonald's Corp (MCD) and KFC-parent Yum Brands Inc (YUM). Read more.

Better Buy Coca Cola vs. PepsiCo

The Coca-Cola  (NYSE: KO  ) vs. PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) war is one of the greatest rivalries in corporate history, just like Apple vs. Microsoft or Facebook vs. productive work time. At the same time, these two soda giants are among the most popular and respected dividend growth companies in the market, so let's take a look at the Coke vs. Pepsi debate from an investor's perspective.

When it comes to the cola wars, Coca-Cola has already won that competition a long time ago. Regular Coke has long been the market share leader and since 2010 Diet Coke is the second most sold soda brand in the U.S., relegating Pepsi to the third position.

On the other hand, PepsiCo has a leadership position in salty snacks, which provides diversification and growth opportunities for the company. Read more.

The Coca-Cola Company Historical Landmarks

Fans of vintage American culture can find delightful glimpses into the past via thousands of soft drink artifacts: vintage signs, print ads, beautiful old bottles, soda-fountain drinking glasses and more. But larger monuments to that history endure, hidden in plain sight in large cities and smaller burgs.

These structures may have once belonged to the local bottling plant or had some other Coca-Cola-related history, but today they live on as condominium buildings or office complexes. Some have even made it on the list of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), a designation that encourages preservation of historic properties. But locals tend to refer to the buildings simply as “the Coca-Cola Building.” It’s a reference to what the building used to be — what it represented to the community. It also speaks to the building’s place in the evolution of America’s architecture.

Granted, some of these structures don’t look like much. Sometimes old bottling plants look like, well, old bottling plants. But other times the draw is in the architectural details. “I think most people are always happy to see a previously vacant building brought back to its former glory and put into active use again. Read more.

The Latest Happenings in the Beverage Industry

Evidence reaffirms concerns about the links between poor health and soda consumption. In a study cited by Foodnavigator USA, the decreased consumption of "sugar sweetened beverages" correlated with a drop in cholesterol and "inflammatory biomarkers." The link between these two trends has yet to be established. Beverage giant Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) sponsored its own study and deeply criticized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, indicating that claims shouldn't be used in policy decision-making.

Carbonated-beverage companies face an ever-steeper hill while fighting headwinds from the healthy lifestyle movement. Governments seek to give soda the cigarette treatment by imposing an excise tax. Read more.

Coca-Cola: 5 Reasons To Remain Long This Iconic Brand

It is always good for investors to reassure themselves about the future of a company before buying into it or continuing to hold on to its stock. Whether you are initiating a new share purchase position in a publicly quoted company or you are increasing your current shareholding position by making additional purchases of the common stock of the company, looking at the current level of profitability of the company and the opportunity for future growth are important due diligence steps that could help you earn appreciable returns on your investment. 

Investing in the shares of blue chip companies like Coca-Cola (KO), one of the world's renowned manufactures and marketers of carbonated drinks, is not an exemption to the rule of due diligence in share purchase transactions. Read more.

Will SodaStream Earnings Flatten Coke and Pepsi?

SodaStream (NASDAQ: SODA  ) will release its quarterly report on Wednesday, and investors are preparing for the possibility of something they haven't seen much of lately: falling earnings.

Yet in the long run, SodaStream earnings appear poised to keep soaring, raising questions about whether the home-carbonation system maker will eventually start cannibalizing the businesses of soda giants Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) .

SodaStream jumped onto a kitchen appliance trend, but it has a much different marketing angle from those that home coffee brewers use. SodaStream promises not only cost-effective soda but also healthier offerings that cut down on environmental waste. Read more about KO.

Coca-Cola: Bottle is Half Full

The Coca-Cola Company (KO), the world largest soft-drink maker, reported its third quarter (3Q) financial results for fiscal year 2013 (FY13) on October 16. The company’s revenues are typically the highest in the summer months – or the second and third quarters – when warm weather acts as a demand driver for soft drink sales.

In the latest quarter ended September 30, 2013, Coca-Cola reported an EPS of $0.54, an 8% Year-over-Year (YoY) increase from the same quarter last year. The EPS figure was in line with analysts’ estimates, signaling strong fiscal management, despite a YoY decline in overall revenues.

Total net revenues for the quarter came in at $12.03 billion, and missed analyst expectations of $12.05 billion by just 0.19%. Reported revenues declined 3% YoY, mainly due to restructuring charges in its Philippines and Brazil operations. After excluding restructuring costs, and accounting currency fluctuations, global revenues actually increased 4%. read more about Coca-Cola.