Coca-Cola 10-Q 2022-09-30

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2022

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 001-02217

COCA COLA CO

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (404) 676-2121

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock as of the latest practicable date.

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report contains information that may constitute “forward-looking statements.” Generally, the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “project,” “will” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future — including statements relating to volume growth, share of sales and earnings per share growth, and statements expressing general views about future operating results — are forward-looking statements. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date when made. Our Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause our Company’s actual results to differ materially from historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the assumptions used to calculate our estimated aggregate incremental tax and interest liability related to the potential unfavorable outcome of the ongoing tax dispute with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service could significantly change; those described in Part II, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 1, 2022; and those described from time to time in our future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Part I. Financial Information

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In millions except per share data)

1 Calculated based on net income attributable to shareowners of The Coca-Cola Company.

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In millions)

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In millions except par value)

Refer to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

**CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLO

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When used in this report, the terms “The Coca-Cola Company,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” mean The Coca-Cola Company and all entities included in our consolidated financial statements.

On March 8, 2022, the Company announced the suspension of its business in Russia as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In addition, the conflict has caused a disruption of our business in Ukraine. Given the rapidly changing conditions, the Company will continue to monitor and assess the situation as circumstances evolve. As a point of reference, in 2021, the Company’s business in Russia and Ukraine contributed approximately 2 percent of the Company’s unit case volume and approximately 1 percent and 2 percent of the Company’s consolidated net operating revenues and operating income, respectively.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the resurgence of the virus in certain countries and the related actions by governments to attempt to contain the spread of the virus, continued to negatively impact our business. While uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic remain, and factors such as the state of the supply chain, labor shortages and the inflationary environment are likely to impact the pace of the economic recovery, we are focused on executing for growth with a goal of operating at a higher level through these challenges.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Recoverability of Current and Noncurrent Assets

Our Company faces many uncertainties and risks related to various economic, political and regulatory environments in the countries in which we operate, particularly in developing and emerging markets. Refer to the headings “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part I and “Our Business — Challenges and Risks” in Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as well as “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part II of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 1, 2022. As a result, management must make numerous assumptions, which involve a significant amount of judgment, when performing recoverability and impairment tests of current and noncurrent assets in various regions around the world.

We perform recoverability and impairment tests of current and noncurrent assets in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). For certain assets, recoverability and/or impairment tests are required only when conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. For other assets, impairment tests are required at least annually, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that an asset may be impaired.

The performance of recoverability and impairment tests of current and noncurrent assets involves critical accounting estimates. These estimates require significant management judgment, include inherent uncertainties and are often interdependent; therefore, they do not change in isolation. Factors that management must estimate include, among others, the economic lives of the assets, sales volume, pricing, royalty rates, cost of raw materials, delivery costs, the impact of any supply chain disruptions, inflation, long-term growth rates, cost of capital, marketing spending, foreign currency exchange rates, tax rates, capital spending, proceeds from the sale of assets and customers’ financial condition. The variability of these factors depends on a number of conditions, and thus our accounting estimates may change from period to period. These factors are even more difficult to estimate as a result of uncertainties associated with the conflict in Ukraine and the scope, severity and duration of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The estimates we use when performing recoverability tests of assets are consistent with those we use in our internal planning. When performing impairment tests, we estimate the fair values of the assets using management’s best assumptions, which we believe are consistent with those a market participant would use. While pandemic-related uncertainties still exist, we expect to see continued improvements in our business as consumers return to many of their previous work routines as well as socializing and traveling. The Company has certain intangible and other long-lived assets that are more dependent on cash flows generated in away-from-home channels and/or that generate cash flows in geographic areas which are more heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore these assets are more susceptible to impairment. In addition, intangible and other long-lived assets we acquired in recent transactions are naturally more susceptible to impairment, because they are recorded at fair value based on recent operating plans and macroeconomic conditions at the time of acquisition. If we had used other assumptions and estimates when impairment tests were performed, impairment charges could have resulted. Furthermore, if management uses different assumptions in future periods, or if different conditions exist in future periods, impairment charges could result. The total future impairment charges we may be required to record could be material.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $96 million related to an equity method investee in Russia. As of September 30, 2022, the remaining carrying value of the Company’s assets related to Russia and Ukraine was less than 0.5 percent of the Company’s total assets. In addition, as of September 30, 2022, the Company had an approximate 21 percent ownership interest in Coca-Cola HBC AG, the Company’s bottling and distribution partner in the region.

As of September 30, 2022, the carrying value of our investment in Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Holdings Inc. exceeded the fair value by $37 million, or 10 percent. Based on the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than our carrying value and our intent and ability to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value, management determined that the decline in fair value was temporary in nature. Therefore, we did not record an impairment charge related to the investment.

Our equity method investees also perform such recoverability and impairment tests. If an impairment charge is recorded by one of our equity method investees, the Company records its proportionate share of such charge as a reduction of equity income (loss) — net in our consolidated statement of income. However, the actual amount we record with respect to our proportionate share of such charge may be impacted by items such as basis differences, deferred taxes and deferred gains.

OPERATIONS REVIEW

Sales of our ready-to-drink beverages are somewhat seasonal, with the second and third calendar quarters typically accounting for the highest sales volumes. The volume of sales in the beverage business may be affected by weather conditions.

Structural Changes, Acquired Brands and Newly Licensed Brands

In order to continually improve upon the Company’s operating performance, from time to time, we engage in buying and selling ownership interests in bottling partners and other manufacturing operations. In addition, we periodically acquire brands and their related operations or enter into license agreements for certain brands to supplement our beverage offerings. These items impact our operating results and certain key metrics used by management in assessing the Company’s performance.

Unit case volume growth is a key metric used by management to evaluate the Company’s performance because it measures demand for our products at the consumer level. The Company’s unit case volume represents the number of unit cases (or unit case equivalents) of Company beverage products directly or indirectly sold by the Company and its bottling partners to customers or consumers and,

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We have no material changes to the disclosures on this matter made in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company, under the supervision and with the participation of its management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2022.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Part II. Other Information

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

Information regarding reportable legal proceedings is contained in Part I, “Item 3. Legal Proceedings” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. The following updates and restates the description of the previously reported U.S. Federal Income Tax Dispute matter.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Dispute

On September 17, 2015, the Company received a Statutory Notice of Deficiency (“Notice”) from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) seeking approximately $3.3 billion of additional federal income tax for years 2007 through 2009. In the Notice, the IRS stated its intent to reallocate over $9 billion of income to the U.S. parent company from certain of its foreign affiliates that the U.S. parent company licensed to manufacture, distribute, sell, market and promote its products in certain non-U.S. markets.

The Notice concerned the Company’s transfer pricing between its U.S. parent company and certain of its foreign affiliates. IRS rules governing transfer pricing require arm’s-length pricing of transactions between related parties such as the Company’s U.S. parent and its foreign affiliates.

To resolve the same transfer pricing issue for the tax years 1987 through 1995, the Company and the IRS had agreed in 1996 on an arm’s-length methodology for determining the amount of U.S. taxable income that the U.S. parent company would report as compensation from its foreign licensees. The Company and the IRS memorialized this accord in a closing agreement resolving that dispute (“Closing Agreement”). The Closing Agreement provided that, absent a change in material facts or circumstances or relevant federal tax law, in calculating the Company’s income taxes going forward, the Company would not be assessed penalties by the IRS for using the agreed-upon tax calculation methodology that the Company and the IRS agreed would be used for the 1987 through 1995 tax years.

The IRS audited and confirmed the Company’s compliance with the agreed-upon Closing Agreement methodology in five successive audit cycles for tax years 1996 through 2006.

The September 17, 2015 Notice from the IRS retroactively rejected the previously agreed-upon methodology for the 2007 through 2009 tax years in favor of an entirely different methodology, without prior notice to the Company. Using the new tax calculation methodology, the IRS reallocated over $9 billion of income to the U.S. parent company from its foreign licensees for tax years 2007 through 2009. Consistent with the Closing Agreement, the IRS did not assert penalties, and it has yet to do so.

The IRS designated the Company’s matter for litigation on October 15, 2015. Litigation designation is an IRS determination that forecloses to a company any and all alternative means for resolution of a tax dispute. As a result of the IRS’ designation of the Company’s matter for litigation, the Company was forced to either accept the IRS’ newly imposed tax assessment and pay the full amount of the asserted tax or litigate the matter in the federal courts. The matter remains subject to the IRS’ litigation designation, preventing the Company from any attempt to settle or otherwise mutually resolve the matter with the IRS.

The Company consequently initiated litigation by filing a petition in the U.S. Tax Court (“Tax Court”) in December 2015, challenging the tax adjustments enumerated in the Notice.

Prior to trial, the IRS increased its transfer pricing adjustment by $385 million, resulting in an additional tax adjustment of $135 million. The Company obtained a summary judgment in its favor on a different matter related to Mexican foreign tax credits, which thereafter effectively reduced the IRS’ potential tax adjustment by approximately $138 million.

The trial was held in the Tax Court from March through May 2018, and final post-trial briefs were filed and exchanged in April 2019.

On November 18, 2020, the Tax Court issued an opinion (“Opinion”) in which it predominantly sided with the IRS but agreed with the Company that dividends previously paid by the foreign licensees to the U.S. parent company in reliance upon the Closing Agreement should continue to be allowed to offset royalties, including those that would become payable to the Company in accordance with the Opinion. The Tax Court reserved ruling on the effect of Brazilian legal restrictions on the payment of royalties by the Company’s licensee in Brazil until after the Tax Court issues its opinion in the separate case of 3M Co. & Subs. v. Commissioner, T.C. Docket No. 5816-13 (filed March 11, 2013). Once the Tax Court issues its opinion in 3M Co. & Subs. v. Commissioner, the Company expects the Tax Court thereafter to render another opinion, and ultimately a final decision, in the Company’s case.

The Company believes that the IRS and the Tax Court misinterpreted and misapplied the applicable regulations in reallocating income earned by the Company’s foreign licensees to increase the Company’s U.S. tax. Moreover, the Company believes that the retroactive imposition of such tax liability using a calculation methodology different from that previously agreed upon by

the IRS and the Company, and audited by the IRS for over a decade, is unconstitutional. The Company intends to assert its claims on appeal and vigorously defend its position.

In determining the amount of tax reserve to be recorded as of December 31, 2020, the Company completed the required two-step evaluation process prescribed by Accounting Standards Codification 740, Accounting for Income Taxes. In doing so, we consulted with outside advisors and we reviewed and considered relevant laws, rules, and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Opinion and relevant caselaw. We also considered our intention to vigorously defend our positions and assert our various well-founded legal claims via every available avenue of appeal. We concluded, based on the technical and legal merits of the Company’s tax positions, that it is more likely than not the Company’s tax positions will ultimately be sustained on appeal. In addition, we considered a number of alternative transfer pricing methodologies, including the methodology asserted by the IRS and affirmed in the Opinion (“Tax Court Methodology”), that could be applied by the courts upon final resolution of the litigation. Based on the required probability analysis, we determined the methodologies we believe the federal courts could ultimately order to be used in calculating the Company’s tax. As a result of this analysis, we recorded a tax reserve of $438 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 related to the application of the resulting methodologies as well as the different tax treatment applicable to dividends originally paid to the U.S. parent company by its foreign licensees, in reliance upon the Closing Agreement, that would be recharacterized as royalties in accordance with the Opinion and the Company’s analysis.

The Company’s conclusion that it is more likely than not the Company’s tax positions will ultimately be sustained on appeal is unchanged as of September 30, 2022. However, we updated our calculation of the methodologies we believe the federal courts could ultimately order to be used in calculating the Company’s tax. As a result of the application of the required probability analysis to these updated calculations and the accrual of interest through the current reporting period, we updated our tax reserve as of September 30, 2022 to $419 million.

While the Company strongly disagrees with the IRS’ positions and the portions of the Opinion affirming such positions, it is possible that some portion or all of the adjustment proposed by the IRS and sustained by the Tax Court could ultimately be upheld. In that event, the Company would likely be subject to significant additional liabilities for tax years 2007 through 2009, and potentially also for subsequent years, which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The Company calculated the potential impact of applying the Tax Court Methodology to reallocate income from foreign licensees potentially covered within the scope of the Opinion, assuming such methodology were to be ultimately upheld by the courts and the IRS were to decide to apply that methodology to subsequent years with consent of the federal courts. This impact would include taxes and interest accrued through December 31, 2021 for the 2007 through 2009 litigated tax years and for subsequent tax years from 2010 through 2021. The calculations incorporated the estimated impact of correlative adjustments to the previously accrued transition tax payable under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Company estimates that the potential aggregate incremental tax and interest liability could be approximately $13 billion as of December 31, 2021. Additional income tax and interest would continue to accrue until the time any such potential liability, or portion thereof, were to be paid. The Company estimates the impact of the continued application of the Tax Court Methodology for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 would increase the potential aggregate incremental tax and interest liability by approximately $250 million and $750 million, respectively. Additionally, we currently project the continued application of the Tax Court Methodology in future years, assuming similar facts and circumstances as of December 31, 2021, would result in an incremental annual tax liability that would increase the Company’s effective tax rate by approximately 3.5 percent.

The Company does not know when the Tax Court will issue its opinion regarding the effect of Brazilian legal restrictions on the payment of royalties by the Company’s licensee in Brazil for the 2007 through 2009 tax years. After the Tax Court issues its opinion on the Company’s Brazilian licensee, the Company and the IRS will be provided time to agree on the tax impact, if any, of both opinions, after which the Tax Court would render a final decision in the case. The Company will have 90 days thereafter to file a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and pay the tax liability and interest related to the 2007 through 2009 tax years. The Company currently estimates that the payment to be made at that time related to the 2007 through 2009 tax years, which is included in the above estimate of the potential aggregate incremental tax and interest liability, would be approximately $5.1 billion (including interest accrued through September 30, 2022), plus any additional interest accrued through the time of payment. Some or all of this amount would be refunded if the Company were to prevail on appeal.

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as updated and supplemented in Part II, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 1, 2022, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. The risks described in this report, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 1, 2022 are not the only risks facing our Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial, could also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or future results.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

The following table presents information with respect to purchases of common stock of the Company made during the three months ended September 30, 2022 by the Company or any “affiliated purchaser” of the Company as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”):

1The total number of shares purchased includes: (i) shares purchased, if any, pursuant to the 2019 Plan described in footnote 2 below and (ii) shares surrendered, if any, to the Company to pay the exercise price and/or to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with so-called stock swap exercises of employee stock options and/or the vesting of restricted stock issued to employees.

2On February 21, 2019, the Company publicly announced that our Board of Directors had authorized a plan (“2019 Plan”) for the Company to purchase up to 150 million shares of our common stock. This column discloses the number of shares purchased pursuant to the 2019 Plan during the indicated time periods (including shares purchased pursuant to the terms of preset trading plans meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act).

In reviewing the agreements included as exhibits to this report, please remember they are included to provide you with information regarding their terms and are not intended to provide any other factual or disclosure information about the Company or the other parties to the agreements. The agreements contain representations, warranties, covenants and conditions by or of each of the parties to the applicable agreement. These representations, warranties, covenants and conditions have been made solely for the benefit of the other parties to the applicable agreement and:

• should not in all instances be treated as categorical statements of fact, but rather as a way of allocating the risk to one of the parties if those statements prove to be inaccurate;

• may have been qualified by disclosures that were made to the other party in connection with the negotiation of the applicable agreement, which disclosures are not necessarily reflected in the agreement;

• may apply standards of materiality in a way that is different from what may be viewed as material to you or other investors; and

• were made only as of the date of the applicable agreement, or such other date or dates as may be specified in the agreement, and are subject to more recent developments.

Accordingly, these representations, warranties, covenants and conditions may not describe the actual state of affairs as of the date they were made or at any other time. Additional information about the Company may be found elsewhere in this report and the Company’s other public filings, which are available without charge through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.