Some Tidbits From Molson Coors' Results

(MoneyWatch)  The Associated Press combed through the income statement of Molson Coors and found some interesting tidbits regarding both the company's results and those of MillerCoors, its joint venture with SABMiller.

Among them:

Molson Coors' Carling brand gained market share in Britain, even as volume fell 3.1 percent. In total, the British beer industry declined by more than 7 percent.

In Canada, Molson Coors' pretax income fell by more than 8 percent because of higher costs. Sales were up by 3.7 percent, ahead of the industry as a whole.

Sales of Coors Light grew by 6.8 percent, leading a slew of higher sales for MillerCoors' premium light brands. Craft beers and imports rose by 5 percent. The Blue Moon brand was a big winner.

Molson Coors, which in September merged its American operations with SABMiller, reported a 29 percent increase in profits, though that number was largely inflated by charges taken in the year-earlier period. Excluding them, profits were flat overall, as were volume sales. Thanks to price increases, gross margins rose less than 2 points, to 43.1 percent.