Mexican drinks seller Arca profits rise on ‘surprise’ sales volumes
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican bottler Arca Continental said on Thursday its third-quarter net profit rose 7% as it sold more water and soft drinks than expected in its home market and widened its U.S. profit margin. The net profit of 4.54 billion Mexican pesos ($260 million) was slightly below the 4.62 billion pesos analysts polled by LSEG had estimated, but Arca’s higher core margins exceeded J.P. Morgan’s expectations. “The highlight of this quarter is once again the strong performance of the U.S. operations,” J.P. Morgan analysts said in a note. Mexican volumes were “the main surprise” and traders should