Dr. Pepper Beats Sales, Matches Profit Forecasts

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc. reported fourth-quarter net earnings that fell to $150 million, or 77 cents a share, from $156 million, or 78 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Excluding non-recurring items, adjusted per-share earnings were 88 cents, matching the FactSet consensus estimate. Revenue rose 3% to $1.51 billion from $1.46 billion, above the FactSet consensus of $1.47 billion, as BCS volume increased 2%. For 2015, the beverage company expects adjusted per-share earnings in the range of $3.80 to $3.88, below analyst forecasts of $3.91. The stock was little changed in premarket trade. It has run up 14% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has gained 1.5%.