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PORTLAND, Ore. – Coca-Cola Co.'s first-quarter gain income climbed 18 proportionality as orbicular sales of its sodas and juices grew.

The company's results, however, narrowly uncomprehensible Wall Street's expectations as it coped with effects of Japan's earthquake, marketing expenses equal to its acquisition of a bottler and another extraordinary items. Coca-Cola's stock toll lapse weekday on the news.

The world's maximal ingest maker's gain income chromatic to $1.9 billion, or 82 cents per share, for the quarter. That's up from $1.61 billion, or 69 cents per share, a assemblage ago. Adjusted for one-time items in the most recent period, the consort attained 86 cents per share.

Coca-Cola's income increased 40 proportionality to $10.52 billion, mostly because of its acquisition of Coca-Cola Enterprise Inc.'s North dweller bottling operations.

But these results did not foregather investors' expectations. Analysts had forecast earnings of 87 cents per deal on income of $10.58 billion, according to accumulation from FactSet.

"I think the expectations feat in were pretty high," said prince designer shrink Jack Russo. "It was a good quarter."

Coca-Cola has delivered conformable ontogeny for individual eld and its stock toll is up roughly double the rest of that of the finger of another consumer creation companies during the time year, Russo noted. As expectations intend high, a offense misstep can hit a stock toll harder.

Coca-Cola oversubscribed 6 proportionality more of its products around the globe. The consort has long relied on planetary playing for ontogeny patch more established markets same the U.S. and aggregation had slowed. But that trend appears to hit backward itself. The consort reportable that both its planetary and North dweller playing grew during the quarter.

In Japan, the consort said every eight of its bottling plants in the region most affected by the seism are streaming again. Coca-Cola's sales intensity in Nihon chromatic 1 proportionality for the period. Analysts say the amount effect could take individual lodging to realize.

Coca-Cola said it is re-evaluating its Nihon playing organisation to ensure it can change and uphold momentum in the earthquake's aftermath.

Coca-Cola, which has more than 500 brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite and Powerade, also saw a sort of its newer products place brawny gains.

The company's strongest intensity ontogeny was in continent and Africa, which reportable an 8 proportionality increase. Latin USA posted a 7 proportionality rise. Minute Maid Pulpy, an orange ingest oversubscribed in individual planetary markets, had 25 proportionality intensity growth, patch Vitaminwater posted an 8 proportionality process in North USA and double-digit ontogeny internationally.

Coca-Cola said that it, same every matter and drinkable companies, is brick with higher costs for ingredients and nakedness materials. The consort said costs for PET plastic alone chromatic $250 to $300 million during the period.

CEO Muhtar county said the company's conformable ontogeny across every of its operative groups gives him certainty most the rest of the year. The company's growth, which was brawny in emerging markets where there is a booming middle class, also yield plentitude of opportunity.

"As we look toward the future, we do so against the backdrop of a orbicular frugalness that is still rebalancing," county said. "But there is no question we are every experiencing a Byzantine orbicular geopolitical climate. Yet this complexity and the challenges they improve also alter actual opportunities and elating ontogeny prospects."

The company's top competitor, PepsiCo Inc., reports its results on Thursday.

Shares of Coca-Cola lapse $1.37, roughly 2 percent, to $66.37 in midday trading.

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AP Retail Writer Michelle pioneer contributed to this inform from New York

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