The Wall Street Journal-20080213-Earnings Digest -- Beverages- Molson Coors Brewing Co-

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Earnings Digest -- Beverages: Molson Coors Brewing Co.

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Molson Coors Brewing Co.'s fourth-quarter profit rose 74%, helped by a much lower tax rate and a weak U.S. dollar and as it achieved additional savings from its 2005 combination with Adolph Coors. Its shares rose $4.30, or 9.5%, to $49.66 in 4 p.m. New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Earnings for the domestic segment rose 27%, on volume gains of 2%. Canadian earnings decreased 5.6% on a 10% dip in volume, partly because prior-year results included an extra week of operations. Molson Coors said smoking bans in England and Wales hurt shipments in Europe. Craft beers and the soaring cost of commodities are tugging on established brewers' bottom lines in a softening economy.