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From a major multinational grower and RTD maker, to a smaller domestic tea shop chain and natural food products manufacturer, publicly traded companies with a stake in the tea business ended September with a good quarter overall.

The Coca-Cola Company, based in Atlanta, had a solid quarter overall, with flat to slightly negative growth for the quarter and some gains year-to-date. The beverage behemoth reported third-quarter 2009 revenue of $8.04 billion, a decrease of 4 percent compared with third-quarter 2008 revenue of $8.39 billion. Net income, however, remained flat at $1.92 billion for the quarter, as did diluted net income per share of 81 cents.

The first nine months of the year were a bit brighter. Through Oct. 2, 2009, Coca-Cola and its subsidiaries reported consolidated revenue of $23.48 billion, down 5 percent from the same period last year. Net income of $5.33 billion was up 9 percent from the first three-quarters of 2008, and diluted net income per share of $2.27 was up 10 percent.

Continuing a trend begun last year, tea occupied a few of the bright spots in the company’s financial self-analysis.

In a statement, Coca-cola noted across-the-board gains in nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages. “Total still beverage unit case volume increased 7 percent in the quarter, led by sound growth across the portfolio, including juices, fruit stills, teas and water brands,” the report stated. “Still beverage unit case volume increased 10 percent internationally and was even in North America.”

Within the North American market for still beverages, “volume in our food service and hospitality business continued to grow, driven by innovation and new segmented customer offerings in our tea portfolio,” according to the statement.

Coca-Cola's tea brands include FUZE Healthy Infusions, Nestea, Ten Ren and Yuan Ye (a green tea in China). Coca-Cola also owns a 40-percent stake in Honest Tea.

Melville, N.Y.-based Hain Celestial Group, the owner of Celestial Seasonings teas, among other natural food and beverage brands, also had a good quarter (the first in its fiscal 2010), profit-wise.

For the three months ending Sept. 30, 2009, Hain Celestial posted net sales of $230.48 million, down 20 percent from $286.78 million in the same quarter of 2008. Net income, however, was up 20 percent, from $6.77 million in ’08 to $8.1 million in ’09. Diluted income per share rose from 17 cents to 20 cents.

The company did not comment on activity in its tea brands, but reconfirmed guidance for the 2010 fiscal year: earning per share of $1.19 and a 4- to 6-percent increase in sales.

By far the brightest star in tea domestically for this financial quarter was Peet’s Coffee & Tea. The company based in Emeryville, Calif., continued the meteoric rise in profits it launched last year, posting a 22-percent increase for the quarter and a 31-percent increase for the year so far.

For the thirteen weeks ending Sept. 27, 2009, Peet’s reported net income of $2.47 million on revenue of $73.91 million, compared with net revenue of $2.02 million on revenue of $68.49 million in the same period of 2008.

The company’s diluted income per share increased 27 percent for the quarter, from 15 cents in 2008 to 19 cents this year; and 31 percent year-to-date, from 51 to 67 cents.

In a statement, CEO Patrick O’Dea said he was “very pleased” with his company’s performance: “We are leveraging the significant past investments we’ve made in our people, direct store delivery, selling system, the new roasting facility and our store base to produce strong earnings growth.”

Overseas, one of the world’s largest tea makers had an extraordinarily good quarter. Kokata, India-based Tata Tea reported double-digit growth in both sales and profits. The Tata Tea group of companies includes Tetley Group, based in the U.K., and owns 27 tea estates in India. Its major brands are Tata Tea, Tetley, Kanan Devan, Chakra Gold and Gemini.

For the three months that ended Sept. 30, 2009, Tata Tea posted net sales of 13.97 billion INR ($299.98 million, based on current conversion rates), compared with 11.81 billion INR ($253.52 million), an increase of 18 percent.

The company reported a 32-percent increase in group consolidated net profits, from 2.18 billion INR ($46.75 million) in ’08 to 2.87 billion INR ($61.71 million) in ’09. Earnings per share during the same period rose from 35.21 INR (76 cents US) to 46.48 INR ($1).

In a public announcement of its results, Tata Tea noted the positive impact of favorable changes in foreign exchange rates, its investment in Mount Everest Mineral Water and Tetley’s acquisition of a majority stake in a Russian beverage company among major financial events during the quarter.