PLANO, TEXAS — Income for the Dr Pepper Snapple Group rose 16% during the third quarter. For the quarter ended Sept. 30, the company had income of $179 million, equal to 85c per share on the common stock, which compared with $154 million, or 71c per share, during the same quarter of the previous year. Sales for the quarter were $1,528 million, nearly flat compared with $1,529 million during the same quarter of the previous year.

“We continue to operate in an uncertain economic and cautious consumer environment,” said Larry Young, president and chief executive officer. “I am proud of the team’s commitment to execute our focused strategy of driving profitable volume through disciplined pricing and continued investment in our brands to drive relevance and awareness with our consumers. Rapid continuous improvement is gaining momentum across the organization and is delivering improvements in operating profitability and cash flow, resulting in returns for our shareholders.”

For the nine months ended Sept. 30, the company saw income rise 4% to $459 million, or $2.17 per share, which compared with income of $440 million, or $2 per share, during the same period of the previous year. Sales for the nine months were $4,511 million, up 2% from $4,442 million during the same period of the previous year.