Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. announced audited earnings results for the full year ended December 31, 2009. For the period, the company reported net profit after tax before significant items of AUD 449 million or AUD 60.5 earnings per share and net profit after tax after significant items of AUD 449 million or AUD 60.5 earnings per share compared to net profit after tax before significant items of AUD 404.3 million or AUD 54.9 earnings per share and net profit after tax after significant items of AUD 385.6 million or AUD 52.4 earnings per share for the same period last year. The company reported total revenues of AUD 4,546.8 million, profit before income tax of AUD 653.4 million and EBIT of AUD 787.3 million compared to total revenues of AUD 4,228.1 million, profit before income tax of AUD 535.6 million and EBIT of AUD 713.8 million for the same period last year. The company reported free cash flow increased by AUD 292.2 million to AUD 450.2 million over the period comparable period. The company reported operating cash flow of AUD 751.3 million and capital expenditure of AUD 307 million compared to operating cash flow of AUD 430.6 million and capital expenditure of AUD 278.3 million for the same period last year. The operating cash flow increased by AUD 320.7 million primarily as a result of improved working capital and the increase in earnings. The company reported net debt of AUD 1,648 million of 2009 compared to AUD 1,939.4 million in the same period last year. The company reported profit after tax attributable to members of the company of AUD 449 million compared to AUD 385.6 million for the same period last year. The company reported the fully franked final dividend has been increased from 22.0 cents to 25.0 cents per share, representing of 13.6%. This takes the dividend for the full year to 43.5 cents per share, an increase of 11.5% also fully franked. The record date of determining dividend entitlements is February 26, 2010 and the final dividend will be paid on April 6, 2010. The company announced that, as assuming a continuation of current trading conditions, the company expects to be able to deliver high single-digit earnings growth for the first half of 2010.

Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd. announced that Ken McKenzie, CFO would be retiring after 25 years with the beverage company. Nessa O'Sullivan, now the CFO of operations, will become group chief financial officer on September 1, 2010.

Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd., 2009 Earnings Call, Feb-17-2010