"Old reliable" Coca-Cola (KO), first discussed here on February 20, 2009, at a price of $42.68, has retested the $65 level. If you haven't already, now may be a good time to consider taking some profits off the table with KO, if you're in near $43.

However, investors who can tolerate the risk can maintain their full position in KO, but keep in mind the journey to $80 may not be completed in 2011.

The shares of Coca-Cola (KO), first discussed here on February 20, 2009, at a price of $42.68, have powered through psychological resistance at $60, and it you're in near $43, now may be a good time to consider taking some profits with KO.

However, other investors who can tolerate the risk can maintain their full position in KO, but keep in mind the journey to $80 may not be completed in 2011.

Soft drink giant The Coca-Cola Company (KO) announced today that it had recalled 22,000 sets of themed glasses that were painted to look like cans of the company's soft drinks.

The 16-ounce glasses have been sold since March both online and in retail stores, but have been detected to contain low levels of cadmium on the outside of the glass which has been painted to look like a can of Coke.

Beverage firm Coca-Cola (KO) announced that its third-quarter earnings came in better than the consensus estimate. For the quarter, Coke brought in 88 cents per share ($2.06 billion), or 92 cents per share excluding items. The consensus estimate called for earnings of 89 cents per share.

Turning to revenue, Coke saw a 5% increase to $8.43 billion. The company noted that its integration efforts are "well on track," stressing its savings target of at least $350 million per year. These savings will be implemented during the next four years.

Monday morning, Coca-Cola (KO) announced that it will distribute some drinks that are made by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS). Coca-Cola will now distribute Dr Pepper and Canada Dry ginger ale in the United States and will distribute some drinks in Canada.

These beverages were distributed by Coca-Cola Enterprises, but that company is being acquired by Coca-Cola. The new agreement replaces Coca-Cola Enterprise's original deal with Dr Pepper.

In a recent Wall Street Journal interview, top Nike (NKE) executive Mark Parker talked about his ambitious goal to boost global sales 40% by 2015. His strategy? Focus on China, Brazil and India and connect with these emerging markets' emerging middle classes.

And most interesting of all: The company is planning this move under brands that don't bear the trademark swoosh logo.

Shares of the world's largest soft drink maker, Coca-Cola Company (KO), are trading lower this morning, despite better-than-expected earnings for the company's first quarter.

Analysts had forecast earnings of 74 cents per share, and the company outpaced estimates with reported earnings of 80 cents per share, excluding special items. The company reported earnings of 64 cents per share during the same period last year.

Today was the great jobless claims disappointment. Traders wanted more from durable goods as well, but the claims was the real culprit. We also had a weak tape going into the morning from overseas markets due to concerns about Greece and also over sovereign debt rating concerns for Japan. Bernanke talked markets up yesterday, but he had nothing new to pull out of his hat this morning.

Here were today's closing bell levels:

Dow 10,321.03 -53.13 (-0.51%)
S&P 500 1,102.93 -2.31 (-0.21%)
Nasdaq 2,234.22 -1.68 (-0.08%)

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Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) received an analyst's upgrade ahead of next week's Q4 earnings report.
• Acer Inc. reported its highest quarterly earnings in almost three years due in part to growth in shipments.
• Baidu Inc. (BIDU) swung to a better-than-expected Q4 profit, with strong revenue growth, and offered rosy guidance.
• Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) offered an upside surprise as well as full-year earnings above Wall Street estimates.
• Coinstar Inc. (CSTR) strong quarterly results and guidance, as well as litigation concerns, failed to inspire Wall Street.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO) posted strong Q4 and full-year earnings results due to growth in emerging markets.

If you are hitting Costco Wholesale (COST) for your Monday Night Football party or Thanksgiving celebration, you won't be able to get those cases of Diet Coke. The warehouse-style retailer, which operates more than 550 locations, is no longer carrying Coca-Cola (KO) products in its U.S. stores. That means no Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, or Dasani water, among other products.

Evidently, the retailer and the beverage giant are embroiled in a pricing dispute. A statement on the Costco website indicated that "Coca-Cola has not provided Costco with competitive pricing so that we may pass along the value our members deserve."

Bernie Madoff is getting used to his new neighbors. Gone are the days of Montauk and Manhattan, and he isn't sharing his space with topless dancers.

Now, he says goodnight to a drug pusher, chills with a former mobster, and hangs with a convicted spy ... and these guys are probably saying, "I hang around with Bernie Madoff." The former financier Ponzi schemer spends his evenings walking laps around the prison track at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex, not far from Raleigh, N.C.

Soft drink giant Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) reported its third quarter numbers this morning, and managed to beat out analyst estimates, but shares are still selling off in early morning trading.

The reason why the market is punishing the stock is because its revenues were softer than analysts had been expecting to see. For the quarter, revenues came in at $8.04 billion, which was shy of the $8.11 billion that Wall Street was expecting to see from the company.

Soft drink giant The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) will be reporting its third quarter numbers tomorrow before the market opens.

The last time that Coca-Cola reported earnings was back in July when the company beat out analyst estimates by 3 pennies with a reported 92 cents per share. For the third quarter, analysts are expecting to the see the company show earnings of 81 cents per share.

As a Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) shareholder, I was quite unnerved by recent talk centering on the issue of a soda tax. I'm sure PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) shareholders were likewise frightened. According to Bloomberg, President Barack Obama is apparently open to the concept. In theory, funds generated from such a tax could be used to help defray the costs associated with a new health-care paradigm.

Besides raising money, what would be the justification behind such a governmental strategy? Well, excess sugar consumption can be dangerous. It can lead to all kinds of complications. You know the drill: obesity, diabetes, etc. When health issues like those rise, the cost of health care increases as well.

"Not surprisingly, Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) has been placing particular emphasis on China, where there is plenty of untapped potential," says Paul Tracy in his StreetAuthority Market Advisor.

"Like most companies that have been around for well over a century, Coca-Cola operates in a relatively mature industry.

"Domestically, per-capita soft-drink consumption has plateaued and domestic volume growth is generally tough to come by.

"The story is quite different for many overseas markets, which now account for about 75% of the firm's sales. Coke isn't the world's most recognized brand for nothing -- consumers in 200 countries around the globe gulp down about 1.6 billion servings of its beverages every single day.