You should read the following discussion in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), including, in particular, statements about future events, future financial performance, plans, strategies, expectations, prospects, competitive environment, regulation, labor matters and availability of raw materials. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "intend" or the negative of these terms or similar expressions in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. Our actual financial performance could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of estimates, forecasts and projections, and our financial performance may be better or worse than anticipated. Given these uncertainties, you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date that they were made. We do not undertake any duty to update the forward-looking statements, and the estimates and assumptions associated with them, after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains the names of some of our owned or licensed trademarks, trade names and service marks, which we refer to as our brands. All of the product names included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are either our registered trademarks or those of our licensors.
Cadbury plc and Cadbury Schweppes plc are hereafter collectively referred to as "Cadbury", unless otherwise indicated. Kraft Foods Inc. acquired Cadbury on February 2, 2010. Kraft Foods, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries are hereafter collectively referred to as "Kraft".

Overview
We are a leading integrated brand owner, manufacturer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages in the United States ("U.S."), Canada and Mexico with a diverse portfolio of flavored carbonated soft drinks ("CSDs") and non-carbonated beverages ("NCBs"), including ready-to-drink teas, juices, juice drinks and mixers. Our brand portfolio includes popular CSD brands such as Dr Pepper, Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Squirt, Peñafiel, and Schweppes, and NCB brands such as Snapple, Mott's, Hawaiian Punch, Clamato, Rose's and Mr & Mrs T mixers. Our largest brand, Dr Pepper, is a leading flavored CSD in the U.S. according to The Nielsen Company. We have some of the most recognized beverage brands in North America, with significant consumer awareness levels and long histories that evoke strong emotional connections with consumers. We operate as an integrated brand owner, manufacturer and distributor through our three segments. We believe our integrated business model strengthens our route-to-market and provides opportunities for net sales and profit growth through the alignment of the economic interests of our brand ownership and our manufacturing and distribution businesses through both our Direct Store Delivery ("DSD") system and our Warehouse Direct ("WD") delivery system. Our integrated business model enables us to be more flexible and responsive to the changing needs of our large retail customers and allows us to more fully leverage our scale and reduce costs by creating greater geographic manufacturing and distribution coverage.
The beverage market is subject to some seasonal variations. Our beverage sales are generally higher during the warmer months and also can be influenced by the timing of holidays and religious festivals as well as weather fluctuations.
Beverage Concentrates
Our Beverage Concentrates segment is principally a brand ownership business. In this segment we manufacture and sell beverage concentrates in the U.S. and Canada. Most of the brands in this segment are CSD brands. Key brands include Dr Pepper, Canada Dry, Crush, Schweppes, 7UP, Sunkist soda, A&W, Sun Drop, RC Cola, Diet Rite, Squirt, Welch's, Country Time, Vernors and the concentrate form of Hawaiian Punch.
Almost all of our beverage concentrates are manufactured at our plant in St. Louis, Missouri.

The beverage concentrates are shipped to third party bottlers, as well as to our own manufacturing systems, who combine them with carbonation, water, sweeteners and other ingredients, package it in PET containers, glass bottles and aluminum cans, and sell it as a finished beverage to retailers. Beverage concentrates are also manufactured into syrup, which is shipped to fountain customers, such as fast food restaurants, who mix the syrup with water and carbonation to create a finished beverage at the point of sale to consumers. Dr Pepper represents most of our fountain channel volume. Concentrate prices historically have been reviewed and adjusted at least on an annual basis.
Our Beverage Concentrates brands are sold by bottlers, including our own Packaged Beverages segment, through all major retail channels including supermarkets, fountains, mass merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groceries, drug chains and dollar stores.
Packaged Beverages
Our Packaged Beverages segment is principally a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. In this segment, we primarily manufacture and distribute packaged beverages and other products, including our brands, third party owned brands and certain private label beverages, in the U.S. and Canada. Key NCB brands in this segment include Snapple, Hawaiian Punch, Mott's, Yoo-Hoo, Clamato, Deja Blue, AriZona, FIJI, Mistic, Nantucket Nectars, ReaLemon, Mr and Mrs T mixers, Rose's and Country Time. Key CSD brands in this segment include 7UP, Dr Pepper, A&W, Sunkist soda, Canada Dry, Squirt, RC Cola, Big Red, Sun Drop, Diet Rite, IBC and Vernors. Additionally, we distribute third party brands such as Big Red, AriZona tea, FIJI mineral water, Neuro beverages, Vita Coco coconut water and Hydrive energy drinks and a portion of our sales comes from bottling beverages and other products for private label owners or others for a fee. Although the majority of our Packaged Beverages' net sales relate to our brands, we also provide a route-to-market for third party brand owners seeking effective distribution for their new and emerging brands. These brands give us exposure in certain markets to fast growing segments of the beverage industry with minimal capital investment.
Our Packaged Beverages' products are manufactured in multiple facilities across the U.S. and are sold or distributed to retailers and their warehouses by our own distribution network or by third party distributors. The raw materials used to manufacture our products include aluminum cans and ends, glass bottles, PET bottles and caps, paper products, sweeteners, juices, water and other ingredients.
We sell our Packaged Beverages' products both through our DSD system, supported by a fleet of approximately 6,000 trucks and 12,000 employees, including sales representatives, merchandisers, drivers and warehouse workers, as well as through our WD system, both of which include the sales to all major retail channels, including supermarkets, fountain, mass merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groceries, drug chains and dollar stores.
Latin America Beverages
Our Latin America Beverages segment is a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. This segment participates mainly in the carbonated mineral water, flavored CSD, bottled water and vegetable juice categories, with particular strength in carbonated mineral water and grapefruit flavored CSDs. Key brands include Peñafiel, Squirt, Clamato and Aguafiel.
In Mexico, we manufacture and distribute our products through our bottling operations and third party bottlers and distributors. In the Caribbean, we distribute our products through third party bottlers and distributors. In Mexico, we also participate in a joint venture to manufacture Aguafiel brand water with Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. We provide expertise in the Mexican beverage market and Acqua Minerale San Benedetto provides expertise in water production and new packaging technologies.
We sell our finished beverages through all major Mexican retail channels, including the "mom and pop" stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and on premise channels.
Volume
In evaluating our performance, we consider different volume measures depending on whether we sell beverage concentrates or finished beverages.
Beverage Concentrates Sales Volume
In our Beverage Concentrates segment, we measure our sales volume in two ways:
(1) "concentrate case sales" and (2) "bottler case sales." The unit of measurement for both concentrate case sales and bottler case sales equals 288 fluid ounces of finished beverage, the equivalent of 24 twelve ounce servings.

Concentrate case sales represent units of measurement for concentrates sold by us to our bottlers and distributors. A concentrate case is the amount of concentrate needed to make one case of 288 fluid ounces of finished beverage. It does not include any other component of the finished beverage other than concentrate. Our net sales in our concentrate businesses are based on our sales of concentrate cases.
Although net sales in our concentrate businesses are based on concentrate case sales, we believe that bottler case sales are also a significant measure of our performance because they measure sales of packaged beverages into retail channels.
Packaged Beverages Sales Volume
In our Packaged Beverages segment, we measure volume as case sales to customers. A case sale represents a unit of measurement equal to 288 fluid ounces of packaged beverage sold by us. Case sales include both our owned brands and certain brands licensed to and/or distributed by us.
Volume in Bottler Case Sales
In addition to sales volume, we measure volume in bottler case sales ("volume (BCS)") as sales of packaged beverages, in equivalent 288 fluid ounce cases, sold by us and our bottling partners to retailers and independent distributors. Our contract manufacturing sales are not included or reported as part of volume (BCS).
Bottler case sales, concentrate case sales and packaged beverage sales volume are not equal during any given period due to changes in bottler concentrate inventory levels, which can be affected by seasonality, bottler inventory and manufacturing practices, and the timing of price increases and new product introductions.

Company Highlights and Recent Developments

•         Net sales totaled $1,362 million for the three months ended March 31,
          2012, an increase of $31 million, or approximately 2%, from the three
          months ended March 31, 2011.


•         Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2012, was $102 million,
          compared to $114 million for the year ago period, a decrease of $12
          million, or approximately 11%.


•         Diluted earnings per share were $0.48 per share for the three months
          ended March 31, 2012, compared with $0.50 for the year ago period, a
          decrease of $0.02, or approximately 4%.


•         During the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, we repurchased
          2.2 million and 2.7 million shares, respectively, of our common stock
          valued at approximately $85 million and $100 million, respectively.


•         During the first quarter of 2012, our Board of Directors (our "Board")
          declared a dividend of $0.34 per share, an increase of 6% over the
          previous quarter, which was paid on April 6, 2012, to shareholders of
          record on March 19, 2012.

Results of Operations
We eliminate from our financial results all intercompany transactions between entities included in the consolidation and the intercompany transactions with our equity method investees.
References in the financial tables to percentage changes that are not meaningful are denoted by "NM."