Coke Reports Higher 2Q Earnings

ATLANTA - The Coca-Cola Co., the world's largest beverage maker, posted a 1 percent profit increase for the second-quarter on a solid 19 percent gain in sales.

The results reported Tuesday beat Wall Street expectations when one-time items are excluded. It shares edged up in morning trading.

For the three months ending June 29, the Atlanta-based company said it earned $1.85 billion, or 80 cents a share, compared to a profit of $1.84 billion, or 78 cents a share, for the same period a year ago.

Excluding one-time items, Coca-Cola said it earned $1.98 billion, or 85 cents a share, in the second-quarter. On a comparable basis, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial …