Coca-Cola sales sink 20 percent, records $3.6 billion tax charge

(Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co reported a 20 percent fall in quarterly revenue on Friday as it continues to sell off its bottling operations, and recorded a $3.6 billion charge related to the new U.S. tax laws.

The Fanta and Diet Coke maker reported a net loss of $2.75 billion, or 65 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, mainly due to the charge. A year earlier, the company had posted a profit of $550 million, or 13 cents per share.

Net operating revenue fell to $7.51 billion from $9.41 billion a year earlier, mainly due to the refranchising of its bottling operations, but beat analysts' estimate of $7.36 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

 

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)