Coca-Cola Enterprises Jumps on Report of Three-Way Merger

An employee inspects bottles at Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd.'s bottling plant in Sidcup, U.K.

Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
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Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., an independent bottler of Coke products in Europe, surged the most in more than five years on a report that it’s considering a three-way merger with two other bottlers.

The company is in advanced talks with Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG in Germany and Coca-Cola Iberian Partners, which serves Spain and Portugal, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report sent the shares up 12 percent to close at a record $51.08 in New York, marking the biggest one-day gain since February 2010.