Cola Co.'s fourth-quarter profit climbed as the world's largest drink maker sold 5 percent more beverages worldwide. The company said Tuesday that its unit case volume rose sharply in emerging markets like China and India, and also saw solid growth in Latin America. Shares rose 71 cents to $53.36 in premarket trading. The only region to report a decline was North America, where case volume fell 1 percent, a sign that those consumers are still wary about their spending. North America makes up about one-fourth of the company's sales. Many US have clamped down on their purchases amid the recession, and beverages are no exception. Consumers in North America are either cutting their soft drink purchases or switching to healthier juices and teas, which has led Coca-Cola to concentrate more on expanding in emerging markets. Coca-Cola, whose brands include Sprite and Diet Coke, reported its fourth-quarter earnings rose to $1.54 billion, or 66 cents per share, even with the expectations of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. These estimates typically remove one-time items. Revenue for the three months ended Dec. 31 increased 5 percent to $7.51 billion from $7.13 billion, beating Wall Street's $7.21 billion estimate. The company, based in Atlanta, said its results were affected by six fewer selling days in the period. While North American unit volume dipped, Coca-Cola Zero posted double-digit unit case volume growth in the region. Full-year profit increased 17 percent to $6.82 billion, or $2.93 per share, compared with $5.81 billion, or $2.49 per share, in the prior year. Revenue for the year dipped slightly to $31 billion from $31.94 billion.
