“Bottler refranchising is still expected to be a 4- to 5-point headwind to comparable net revenues and a 2-point headwind to comparable earnings per share, but will have a positive impact on both our margins and the return profile of our business.”

In context

“related to the IRS tax case, which we continue to vigorously defend, and the upcoming fairlife payment in 2025. We continue to remain consistent in our approach to prioritizing our capital allocation. We're committed to investing to drive growth and to support our dividend, which we have raised for 62 consecutive years. We're confident our business model has the flexibility to allow us to deliver on our overall objectives. Our updated 2024 guidance reflects the underlying momentum of our business, and we now expect organic revenue growth of 8% to 9%, and comparable currency-neutral earnings per share growth of 11% to 13%. Our revised top line guidance is solely driven by higher-than-expected inflationary pricing in a handful of markets, which we expect to moderate throughout the year. Bottler refranchising is still expected to be a 4- to 5-point headwind to comparable net revenues and a 2-point headwind to comparable earnings per share, but will have a positive impact on both our margins and the return profile of our business. Based on current rates and our hedge positions, we anticipate an approximate 4- to 5-point currency headwind to comparable net revenues, and an approximate 7 to 8-point currency headwind to comparable earnings per share for full year 2024. This increase in currency headwind is driven by intense inflationary markets, while the rest of the currency basket is relatively neutral to our results. Our underlying effective tax rate for 2024 is now expected to be 19%. All in, we continue to expect comparable earnings per share growth of 4% to 5% versus $2.69 in 2023. There are some considerations to keep in mind. We estimate the ongoing conflict in the Middle East had approximately 1 point of impact on volume growth during the first quarter of 2024. It's unclear how long this impact will last. T”