PepsiCo Inc has reported quarterly revenue and profit ahead of analysts' estimates as the beverages and snacks maker benefited from demand for its healthy snacks, trademark sodas and Gatorade energy drinks.
Still, the soft drink and snack maker offered a more conservative earnings forecast for 2020 than Wall Street had expected and predicted slower organic revenue growth than last year.
CEO Ramon Laguarta has been largely focussing on new launches, which include healthy snacks and beverages, to drive sales as consumers demand more healthy on-the-go products.
The company said that fourth-quarter revenue was driven by snacks including Lays and Doritos as well as double-digit net revenue growth in premium brands such as Bare and Off the Eaten Path.
Sales at its North American beverage unit rose 4%, while snacks sales, under its Frito-Lay North America segment, gained 3%.
Organic Revenue
Organic revenue, which excludes the effects of currency fluctuations and acquisitions, grew 4.3%, which was its fastest rate of growth since 2015, the soda maker said.
PepsiCo forecast core earnings of $5.88 per share. Analysts are expecting a profit of $5.95 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Organic revenue is expected to rise 4% this year after a 4.5% gain in 2019.
Net Revenue And Earnings Per Share
For the fourth quarter ended December 28, net revenue rose 5.7% to $20.64 billion, beating the estimate of $20.27 billion.
Excluding one-time items, the company earned $1.45 per share, beating market expectations by a cent.
News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
