Dr Pepper Snapple Group's (DPS) quarterly earnings came to light today, and the numbers were generally positive, despite -- in CEO Larry Young's words -- the "extremely challenging environment" of the industry.
Revenue inched up 0.9% compared with the same quarter in 2012, with the company bringing in $1.5 billion. That number would have been a few percentage points higher, according to the company's press release, but was offset by a 1% sales volume decline. Reported earnings per share, however, were up 20% from Q3 2012, to $1.01, compared with $0.84.
As for profit margins, gross and operating profits came in at 57% and 19%, respectively, and took a slight dip from Q3 2012. Net income, meanwhile, rose two percentage points, from 11.7% in Q3 2012 to 13.4% this quarter.
The company has also given back significantly to shareholders throughout the year. Since the start of 2013, Dr Pepper Snapple has repurchased $243 million worth of stock and issued $225 million worth of dividends. Taking that into consideration, it is perhaps not surprising that cash coffers on the company's balance sheet have dropped from $383 million in Q3 2012 to $119 million.
