Coca-Cola Co. said profit fell 4 percent last quarter, the second decline in a row, as sales were sapped by economic weakness in China and Europe, shifting tastes in the U.S. and unseasonable weather in places such as India.
Coca-Cola has long touted its broad geographic reach and ability to make up for sluggish sales in one market with increases elsewhere. The second-quarter results show there’s a limit to that strategy, especially when Mother Nature and global economic forces refuse to cooperate.
