Coca-Cola Q4 profit falls 18%

Coca-Cola Company says its fourth-quarter profit fell 18 per cent as it dealt with the global recession and volatility in the currency markets.

But its adjusted earnings figure still beat Wall Street estimates and its case volume grew.

The world's biggest soft drink maker earned $995 million, or 43 cents per share, in the quarter ended December 31. That's down from $1.21 billion, or 52 cents per share, a year earlier.

It says revenue fell 3 per cent to $7.13 billion. Excluding one-time items such as a charge related to its Coca-Cola Enterprises business, Atlanta-based Coke says it earned 64 cents a share.

Thomson Reuters says analysts expected profit of 61 cents per share on revenue of $7.52 billion.