AHEAD OF THE BELL

PepsiCo to speak at conference

[March 19, 2010]  BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) -- PepsiCo Inc. will present at a consumer analyst conference Thursday in Florida.

The snack and beverage maker said Zein Abdalla, chief executive officer, PepsiCo Europe, will speak at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in the morning.

The conference, known as CAGNY, brings in the nation's largest food, beverage and consumer products companies to talk with analysts about what to expect for the year.

The Purchase, N.Y., company said recently its fourth-quarter profit almost doubled on strength in its snacks business and international beverage operations, which helped buffer a slump in U.S. beverages.

In the U.S., PepsiCo is buying its two biggest bottlers. It expects $400 million in savings from the deal, valued at $7.8 billion, which should close at the end of the month. PepsiCo said the moves will allow it to more quickly respond to people's changing tastes and get new products to market more quickly.

[Associated Press]

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