STOCKS | Keurig Dr Pepper Says Coffee Business Recovery Remains Challenging

Keurig Dr Pepper’s third-quarter net sales rose 71% to $7.34 billion, slightly beating Wall Street expectations, while its coffee business recovery was slower than expected. According to Sina Finance, CEO Tim Cofer said inflation-pressured consumers were shifting to lower-cost ground and instant coffee and buying fewer single-serve K-Cup pods. The company expects its coffee business to continue recovering this quarter, but at a slower pace than previously anticipated. It maintained its full-year guidance for low-double-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share at constant currency and net sales of $25.9 billion to $26.4 billion. U.S. coffee sales increased 2.7% to about $1 billion, as higher volume offset lower prices. JDE Peet’s, whose parent company Keurig Dr Pepper acquired last year for $18 billion, reported sales of about $2.6 billion this quarter. Keurig Dr Pepper plans to split into two independent companies: one combining Peet’s Coffee and its K-Cup coffee business, and the other focused on beverages. U.S. beverage sales rose 11% to about $3 billion, while international sales increased 11% to $644 million. Profit attributable to common shareholders was $810 million, or $0.59 per share, compared with $662 million, or $0.49 per share, a year earlier. Net income included a one-time $99 million tariff refund. Adjusted earnings per share were $0.66, above FactSet analysts’ estimate of $0.62. The stock fell 5% shortly after the open to $35, though it remained up about 26% year to date.