Now here is a man bites dog story

[ben_meyers]

Coca-Cola buys Chinese juice maker for $2.5 bln

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co (KO.N) will pay $2.5 billion for Chinese juice maker Huiyuan (1886.HK), triple its value, strengthening the world's leading drinks maker's hold on a booming market in the biggest foreign takeover in China.

The U.S. firm will pay HK$12.20 a share in cash -- 43 times Huiyuan's forecast 2008 earnings and nearly three times its Friday close of HK$4.14, sending the Chinese firm's shares up 170 percent.

Major acquisitions have slowed to a trickle in past years in a fragmented Chinese consumer industry as companies struggle with fierce competition and a slide in margins. Local brand names are also known to resist foreign control.

Coca-Cola dominates the Chinese diluted-juice market and hopes to make inroads into the pure-juice sector, analysts say.

"Coca-Cola is looking to tap the pure juice market where Huiyuan is the market leader," said Emma Liu, an analyst with Nomura Securities.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080903/bs_nm/coca_cola_huiyuan_dc_3

[i-grok]

1. I only drink juice that contains no water!

It's a bit dry...

[Bob Dobbs]

2. corporofascism for the fascist slave market.

Coke is (sh)it.