Coca-Cola has confirmed that WPP Open X will stay its global media partner in most markets outside North America, Japan and South Korea. WPP will also remain its worldwide creative partner. The renewal supports WPP's Elevate28 overhaul, though the loss of North America media shows client budgets can still shift. Like-for-like net sales fell 6.7% in Q1 2026 and 4.7% in H1 2026. WPP's near-term test is delivering £500m of targeted gross annualised cost savings. The biggest risk is prolonged revenue pressure from consumer goods and tech clients. Separately, Prachi Narayan has become head of partnerships at Media Futures Group, WPP's bespoke media solution for Google.

Coca-Cola shares rose 1.4% on October 30, one of the few stocks to gain during a broad market sell-off. The stock is near six-month highs, up from $92.70 before the company's October 27 earnings release. Third-quarter revenue rose 7.43% year on year, and net income rose 8.47%. Free cash flow reached $4.549 billion in the quarter and $14.282 billion over the past year, up 156%. Analysts' average price targets are $97.54 (Yahoo! Finance) and $97.64 (Barchart), only 3.8% above Friday's close. Management expects $13 billion in free cash flow in 2026. Writer Mark R. Hake argues that much of the good news is already priced in. He suggests conservative investors wait for a pullback.

The Zero Proof adds sales, finance vps. The Zero Proof has named beverage veteran Jill Sites as vice president of sales and former Coca-Cola finance director Montaser Aboshady as vice president of finance, the company announced Thursday. The Appointments: Sites brings more than 20 years of experience in alcoholic and adult non-alcoholic (ANA) beverages, including leadership roles at The Pathfinder, Boisson, Betty Buzz and Breakthru Beverage Group. Unlock the articles, expert interviews, and data reports that power the beer and beyond industry. Join its community and stay ahead with exclusive insights from Brewbound.