The Coca-Cola Company Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS

EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENTS [Abstract]

Our consolidated net income includes our Company's proportionate share of the net income or loss of our equity method investees. When we record our proportionate share of net income, it increases equity income (loss) — net in our consolidated statements of income and our carrying value in that investment. Conversely, when we record our proportionate share of a net loss, it decreases equity income (loss) — net in our consolidated statements of income and our carrying value in that investment. The Company's proportionate share of the net income or loss of our equity method investees includes significant operating and nonoperating items recorded by our equity method investees. These items can have a significant impact on the amount of equity income (loss) — net in our consolidated statements of income and our carrying value in those investments. Refer to Note 17 for additional information related to significant operating and nonoperating items recorded by our equity method investees. The carrying values of our equity method investments are also impacted by our proportionate share of items impacting the equity investee's AOCI.

We eliminate from our financial results all significant intercompany transactions, including the intercompany portion of transactions with equity method investees.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.

On October 2, 2010, we completed our acquisition of CCE's North American business and relinquished our indirect ownership interest in CCE's European operations. As a result of this transaction, the Company does not own any interest in New CCE. Refer to Note 2 for additional information related to this acquisition.

We accounted for our investment in CCE under the equity method of accounting until our acquisition of CCE's North American business was completed on October 2, 2010. Therefore, our consolidated net income for the year ended December 31, 2010, included equity income from CCE during the first nine months of 2010. The Company owned 33 percent of the outstanding common stock of CCE immediately prior to the acquisition. The following table provides summarized financial information for CCE for the nine months ended October 1, 2010, and for the year ended December 31, 2009 (in millions):



	Nine Months Ended		Year Ended
	October 1, 2010		December 31, 2009
Net operating revenues	$	16,464	$	21,645
Cost of goods sold	10,028		13,333
Gross profit	$	6,436	$	8,312
Operating income (loss)	$	1,369	$	1,527
Net income (loss)	$	677	$	731

The following table provides a summary of our significant transactions with CCE for the nine months ended October 1, 2010, and for the year ended December 31, 2009 (in millions):



	Nine Months Ended		Year Ended
	October 1, 2010		December 31, 2009
Concentrate, syrup and finished product sales to CCE	$	4,737	$	6,032
Syrup and finished product purchases from CCE	263		351
CCE purchases of sweeteners through our Company	251		419
Marketing payments made by us directly to CCE	314		415
Marketing payments made to third parties on behalf of CCE	106		174
Local media and marketing program reimbursements from CCE	268		330
Payments made to CCE for dispensing equipment repair services	64		87
Other payments — net	19		66

Syrup and finished product purchases from CCE represent purchases of fountain syrup in certain territories that have been resold by our Company to major customers and purchases of bottle and can products. Marketing payments made by us directly to CCE represent support of certain marketing activities and our participation with CCE in cooperative advertising and other marketing activities to promote the sale of Company trademark products within CCE territories. These programs were agreed to on an annual basis. Marketing payments made to third parties on behalf of CCE represent support of certain marketing activities and programs to promote the sale of Company trademark products within CCE's territories in conjunction with certain of CCE's customers. Pursuant to cooperative advertising and trade agreements with CCE, we received funds from CCE for local media and marketing program reimbursements. Payments made to CCE for dispensing equipment repair services represent reimbursement to CCE for its costs of parts and labor for repairs on cooler, dispensing or post-mix equipment owned by us or our customers. The other payments — net line in the table above represents payments made to and received from CCE that are individually insignificant.

Our Company had previously entered into programs with CCE designed to help develop cold-drink infrastructure. Under these programs, we paid CCE for a portion of the cost of developing the infrastructure necessary to support accelerated placements of cold-drink equipment. These payments supported a common objective of increased sales of Company Trademark Beverages from increased availability and consumption in the cold-drink channel.

Preexisting Relationships

The Company evaluated all of our preexisting relationships with CCE prior to the close of the transaction. Based on these evaluations, the Company recognized charges of $265 million in 2010 related to preexisting relationships with CCE. These charges were primarily related to the write-off of our investment in cold-drink infrastructure programs with CCE as our investment in these programs did not meet the criteria to be recognized as an asset subsequent to the acquisition. These charges were included in the line item other income (loss) — net in our consolidated statements of income and impacted the Corporate operating segment. Refer to Note 17.

Other Equity Method Investments

Our other equity method investments include our ownership interests in Coca-Cola Hellenic, Coca-Cola FEMSA and Coca-Cola Amatil. As of December 31, 2011, we owned approximately 23 percent, 29 percent and 29 percent, respectively, of these companies' common shares. As of December 31, 2011, our investment in our equity method investees in the aggregate exceeded our proportionate share of the net assets of these equity method investees by $1,575 million. This difference is not amortized.

A summary of financial information for our equity method investees in the aggregate, other than CCE, is as follows (in millions):



Year Ended December 31,	2011		2010		2009
Net operating revenues	$	42,472	$	38,663	$	34,292
Cost of goods sold	26,271		23,053		20,205
Gross profit	$	16,201	$	15,610	$	14,087
Operating income	$	4,181	$	4,134	$	3,657
Consolidated net income	$	2,237	$	2,659	$	2,269
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	99		89		78
Net income attributable to common shareowners	$	2,138	$	2,570	$	2,191



December 31,	2011		2010
Current assets	$	13,960	$	12,223
Noncurrent assets	27,152		26,524
Total assets	$	41,112	$	38,747
Current liabilities	$	10,545	$	9,039
Noncurrent liabilities	11,646		11,175
Total liabilities	$	22,191	$	20,214
Shareowners' equity	$	18,392	$	18,046
Noncontrolling interest	529		487
Total equity	$	18,921	$	18,533
Company equity investment	$	7,234	$	6,954

Net sales to equity method investees other than CCE, the majority of which are located outside the United States, were $6.9 billion, $6.2 billion and $5.6 billion in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Total payments, primarily marketing, made to equity method investees other than CCE were $1,147 million, $1,034 million and $878 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. In addition, purchases of finished products from equity method investees other than CCE were $430 million, $205 million and $152 million in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

If valued at the December 31, 2011, quoted closing prices of shares actively traded on stock markets, the value of our equity method investments in publicly traded bottlers would have exceeded our carrying value by $6.2 billion.

Net Receivables and Dividends from Equity Method Investees

Total net receivables due from equity method investees were $1,042 million and $899 million as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The total amount of dividends received from equity method investees was $421 million, $354 million and $422 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Dividends received included a $60 million and $183 million special dividend from Coca-Cola Hellenic during 2011 and 2009, respectively. We classified the receipt of these cash dividends in cash flows from operating activities due to the fact that our cumulative equity in earnings from Coca-Cola Hellenic exceeded the cumulative distributions received; therefore, the dividends were deemed to be a return on our investment and not a return of our investment.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for equity investment, or group of investments, for which combined disclosure is appropriate, including: (a) the name of each investee and percentage of ownership of common stock, (b) accounting policies for investments in common stock, (c) difference between the amount at which the investment is carried and the amount of underlying equity in net assets and the accounting treatment of the difference, (d) the total fair value of each identified investment for which a market value is available, (e) summarized information as to assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the investees (for investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries, common stock of joint ventures, or other investments using the equity method), and (f) material effects of possible conversions, exercises, or contingent issuances of the investee. Other disclosures include (a) the names of any investee in which the investor owns 20 percent or more of the voting stock and investment is not accounted for using the equity method, and the reasons why not, and (b) the names of any investee in which the investor owns less than 20 percent of the voting stock and the investment is accounted for using the equity method, and the reasons why it is.

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