December 21/New York/CNBC -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch issued a research note with "buy" ratings on Beam, Coca-Cola, Constellation Brands and Pepsico, stating that U.S. global-beverage companies may be well positioned for long-term growth.
"(Coca-Cola) and Beam have both demonstrated the strength of their business models through the downturn," the wealth management unit said in its note. Coca-Cola's strong volume growth and investment initiatives in strategic important markets will benefit the company, while Beam is expected to profit from sales-driven growth of new products and consolidation in the industry.