-- Total revenues reached Ps. 22,752 million in the fourth quarter of
2008, an increase of 23.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2007; the
acquisition of Refrigerantes Minas Gerais ("Remil") contributed
approximately 35% of this growth.
-- Consolidated operating income grew 25.7% to Ps. 4,053 million for the
fourth quarter of 2008 mainly driven by double-digit operating income
growth recorded in our Mercosur and Latincentro divisions. Our operating
margin reached 17.8% for the fourth quarter of 2008.
-- Consolidated majority net income decreased 69.7% to Ps. 585 million in
the fourth quarter of 2008, mainly reflecting the devaluation of the
Mexican peso as applied to our U.S. dollar-denominated debt, resulting in
earnings per share of Ps. 0.32 in the fourth quarter of 2008.
"Despite of facing a challenging economic environment and pressures in our
U.S. dollar-denominated raw material cost, our company delivered solid
volume, revenue, and EBITDA growth for the quarter. Revenue-management and
multi-segmentation strategies across our territories, combined with the
acquisitions we made during the year, drove our operations' top-and
bottom-line growth. The successful integration of the Remil franchise
territory in Brazil, the acquisition of the Agua de los Angeles jug water
business in the Valley of Mexico and the consolidation of the Jugos del
Valle line of business, especially in Mexico and Colombia, provided new
avenues of growth for the company. This year, turbulent market and economic
conditions present our company with the challenge of continuing to work
relentlessly -- without losing our focus -- to achieve our goals. Our
business is in a significantly better position to capture the opportunities
that lie ahead in the beverage industry," said Carlos Salazar Lomelin,
Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION
Our fourth-quarter 2008 Conference Call will be held on: February 25, 2009,
at 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time (10:00 A.M. Mexico City Time). To participate in
the conference call, please dial: Domestic U.S.: 866-700-7477 or
International: 617-213-8840. We invite investors to listen to the live
audiocast of the conference call on the Company's website,
www.coca-colafemsa.com
If you are unable to participate live, an instant replay of the conference
call will be available through March 03, 2009. To listen to the replay,
please dial: Domestic U.S.: 888-286-8010 or International: 617-801-6888.
Pass code: 69810319.
Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. produces and distributes Coca-Cola, Sprite,
Fanta, Lift and other trademark beverages of The Coca-Cola Company in
Mexico (a substantial part of central Mexico, including Mexico City and
southeast Mexico), Guatemala (Guatemala City and surrounding areas),
Nicaragua (nationwide), Costa Rica (nationwide), Panama (nationwide),
Colombia (most of the country), Venezuela (nationwide), Brazil (greater São
Paulo, Campiñas, Santos, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, part of the state
of Goias and Minas Gerais) and Argentina (federal capital of Buenos Aires
and surrounding areas), along with bottled water, beer and other beverages
in some of these territories. The Company has 31 bottling facilities in
Latin America and serves over 1,600,000 retailers in the region. The
Coca-Cola Company owns a 31.6% equity interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA.
Please click on this link to view the full version of the Press Release on
our Web Site http://www.coca-colafemsa.com
Contact Information: Contact: Investor Relations KOF Alfredo Fernández (5255) 5081-5120 / 5121 Gonzalo García (5255) 5081-5148 Roland Karig Knebush (5255) 5081-5186 Website: www.coca-colafemsa.com