we are also dependent on commodity prices for apples related to our applesauce production . commodity price volatility has , from time to time , exerted pressure on industry margins and operating results . increased government regulation . government agencies , as a result of concerns about the public health consequences and health care costs associated with obesity , have been proposing and , in some cases , enacting new taxes or regulations on sugar-sweetened and diet beverages . any changes of regulations or imposed taxes could reduce demand and or cause us to raise our prices . 28 increased health consciousness . consumers are increasingly becoming more concerned about health and wellness , focusing on caloric intake and sugar content in both regular csds and juices , the use of artificial sweeteners in diet csds and the use of natural , organic or simple ingredients in lrb products . we believe the main beneficiaries of this trend include bottled waters , naturally sweetened , low calorie drinks , all natural and organic beverages and ready-to-drink teas . our completion of the bai brands merger on january 31 , 2017 will allow us to continue distribution and capture additional growth as a result of this key trend . increased competition in the lrb market . a number of our competitors are large corporations with significant financial resources . these competitors can use their resources and scale to rapidly respond to competitive pressures and changes in consumer preferences by introducing new products , reducing prices or increasing promotional activities , which could reduce the demand for our products . fluctuations in foreign exchange rates . we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate variability in the expected future cash flows associated with certain third-party and intercompany transactions denominated in currencies other than our mexican and canadian entities ' functional currencies . we use derivative instruments such as foreign exchange forward contracts to mitigate a portion of our exposure in these expected future cash flows to changes in foreign exchange rates . significant changes in these exchange rates will impact our results of operations . product and packaging innovation . we believe brand owners and bottling companies will continue to create new products and packages , such as beverages with new ingredients and new premium flavors and innovative convenient packaging , that address changes in consumer tastes and preferences . changing retailer landscape . as retailers continue to consolidate , we believe retailers will support consumer product companies that can provide an attractive portfolio of products , a strong value proposition and efficient delivery . refer to item 1a , `` risk factors `` of this annual report on form 10-k for additional information about risks and uncertainties facing our company . seasonality the beverage market is subject to some seasonal variations . our beverage sales are generally higher during the warmer months and also can be influenced by the timing of holidays as well as weather fluctuations . segments as of december 31 , 2017 , we report our business in four operating segments : the beverage concentrates segment reflects sales of the company 's branded concentrates and syrup to third party bottlers primarily in the u.s. and canada . most of the brands in this segment are carbonated soft drink brands . the packaged beverages excluding bai segment reflects sales in the u.s. and canada from the manufacture and distribution of finished beverages and other products , including sales of the company 's own brands and third party brands , through both dsd and wd . the bai segment reflects sales of bai brands finished goods to third party distributors , primarily in the u.s. , as net sales to the packaged beverages excluding bai segment are eliminated in consolidation . refer to note 3 of the notes to our audited consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the impact of bai brands merger on the company 's net sales presented in the consolidated statements of income . the latin america beverages segment reflects sales in the mexico , caribbean , and other international markets from the manufacture and distribution of concentrates , syrup and finished beverages . the company has determined that packaged beverages excluding bai and bai , which have been identified as operating segments , meet the aggregation criteria under u.s. gaap . as such , these segments have been aggregated into one reportable segment , packaged beverages , based on similarities among the operating units including economic characteristics , the nature of the products and services , the nature of the production processes , the types or class of customer for their products and services , the methods used to distribute their products and services and the nature of the regulatory environment . 29 volume in evaluating our performance , we consider different volume measures depending on whether we sell beverage concentrates or finished beverages . beverage concentrates sales volume in our beverage concentrates segment , we measure our sales volume in two ways : ( 1 ) `` concentrate case sales `` and ( 2 ) `` bottler case sales . `` the unit of measurement for both concentrate case sales and bottler case sales equals 288 fluid ounces of finished beverage , the equivalent of 24 twelve ounce servings . concentrate case sales represent units of measurement for concentrates sold by us to our bottlers and distributors . a concentrate case is the amount of concentrate needed to make one case of 288 fluid ounces of finished beverage . it does not include any other component of the finished beverage other than concentrate . our net sales in our concentrate businesses are based on our sales of concentrate cases . although net sales in our concentrate businesses are based on concentrate case sales , we believe that bottler case sales are also a significant measure of our performance because they measure sales of packaged beverages into retail channels . story_separator_special_tag sop in creased $ 31 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 , primarily driven by an increase in net sales which was partially offset by higher sg & a expenses . the increase in sg & a expenses was primarily the result of a $ 13 million increase in marketing investments and higher people costs , partially offset by lower incentive compensation . 35 volume ( bcs ) . volume ( bcs ) increased 1 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . canada dry and schweppes had gains of 4 % and 2 % , respectively , due to continued growth in the ginger ale category for both brands and the sparkling water category for canada dry . these increases were partially offset by decreases in a & w and 7up , which declined 2 % and 1 % , respectively , compared to the prior year . our other brands declined 1 % in total , primarily as a result of discontinuing the distribution of country time in 2016. dr pepper was flat compared to the prior year driven by increases in our fountain business fully offset by declines in ten and diet . packaged beverages the following table details our packaged beverages segment 's net sales and sop for the years ended december 31 , 2017 and 2016 : replace_table_token_7_th volume . branded csd volumes were flat for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . canada dry in creased 5 % due to continued growth in the ginger ale category . this increase was fully offset by a 2 % decrease in 7up , a 2 % decline in a & w and a 2 % decline in other csd brands . dr pepper was flat as growth in regular was fully offset by declines in ten and diet . branded ncb volumes in creased 4 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . bai increased 99 % driven by the acquired bai brands shipments to third parties since the bai brands merger and continued growth in our existing distribution as a result of distribution gains and product innovation . our growth allied brands gained 40 % due primarily to distribution gains for bodyarmor , core and fiji , and product innovation for bodyarmor . mott 's increased 1 % compared to the prior year as growth in our sauce products was partially offset by declines in juice . clamato increased 3 % . these increases were partially offset as snapple declined 3 % due to competitive headwinds , the de-emphasis on our value products , and lower promotional activity partially offset by the launch of our new pet packaging for our 16 oz . bottles and the takes 2 to mango flavor innovation . other ncb brands were 5 % lower , led by rockstar , arizona and hawaiian punch . the decline in rockstar is due to the loss of distribution rights beginning in april 2017. contract manufacturing increased 1 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . net sales . net sales in creased $ 175 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . net sales increased due to favorable product and package mix , as a result of our ncbs , including our allied brands , $ 64 million in acquired bai brands shipments to third parties since the bai brands merger , and higher organic sales volumes . these increases were partially offset by the loss of the rockstar distribution . sop . sop de creased $ 80 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 , as increases in sg & a expenses and cost of sales more than offset the increase in net sales . cost of sales increased as a primary result of higher costs associated with product and package mix , as a result of our ncbs , including our allied brands , and an increase in costs associated with the acquired bai brands shipments to third parties since the bai brands merger and the initial $ 9 million profit in stock adjustment as a result of the bai brands merger . cost of sales was additionally impacted by the increase in other manufacturing costs and the unfavorable change in our lifo inventory provision . these increases were partially offset by the incremental profit margin benefit we experienced as a result of becoming the brand owner for bai brands and ongoing productivity improvements . sg & a expenses increased driven primarily by the bai brands merger , which includes the acquired operating costs , primarily marketing and people costs , as well as transaction and integration expenses . sg & a expenses further increased due to higher people costs , driven by inflationary increases and additional frontline labor investment . 36 latin america beverages the following table details our latin america beverages segment 's net sales and sop for the years ended december 31 , 2017 and 2016 : replace_table_token_8_th volume . sales volume in creased 3 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 as compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . the in crease in sales volume was primarily driven by a 5 % in crease in peñafiel as a result of distribution gains , increased promotional activity and product innovation , partially offset by increased competition . squirt had a 2 % gain due to increased sales to third party bottlers and product innovation . clamato increased 2 % due to product innovation , distribution gains and increased promotional activity . our

liquidity based on our current and anticipated level of operations , without giving effect to the transaction , we believe that our operating cash flows and cash on hand will be sufficient to meet our anticipated obligations for the next twelve months . to the extent that our operating cash flows are not sufficient to meet our liquidity needs , we may utilize amounts available under our financing arrangements , if necessary . the following table summarizes our cash activity for the years ended december 31 , 2017 , 2016 and 2015 : replace_table_token_14_th net cash provided by operating activities net cash provided by operating activities in creased $ 77 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , as compared to the year ended december 31 , 2016 , primarily due to the impact of certain reconciling adjustments to net cash provided by operating activities , partially offset by a unfavorable change in working capital . net cash provided by operating activities de creased $ 53 million for the year ended december 31 , 2016 , as compared to the year ended december 31 , 2015 , primarily due to our $ 35 million multi-employer pension plan settlement payment . net cash used in investing activities 2017 cash used in investing activities for the year ended december 31 , 2017 consisted primarily of cash paid in connection with our bai brands merger of $ 1,556 million and purchases of property , plant and equipment of $ 202 million .


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```liquidity based on our current and anticipated level of operations , without giving effect to the transaction , we believe that our operating cash flows and cash on hand will be sufficient to meet our anticipated obligations for the next twelve months . to the extent that our operating cash flows are not sufficient to meet our liquidity needs , we may utilize amounts available under our financing arrangements , if necessary . the following table summarizes our cash activity for the years ended december 31 , 2017 , 2016 and 2015 : replace_table_token_14_th net cash provided by operating activities net cash provided by operating activities in creased $ 77 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , as compared to the year ended december 31 , 2016 , primarily due to the impact of certain reconciling adjustments to net cash provided by operating activities , partially offset by a unfavorable change in working capital . net cash provided by operating activities de creased $ 53 million for the year ended december 31 , 2016 , as compared to the year ended december 31 , 2015 , primarily due to our $ 35 million multi-employer pension plan settlement payment . net cash used in investing activities 2017 cash used in investing activities for the year ended december 31 , 2017 consisted primarily of cash paid in connection with our bai brands merger of $ 1,556 million and purchases of property , plant and equipment of $ 202 million .
```    
 Suspicious Activity Report : we are also dependent on commodity prices for apples related to our applesauce production . commodity price volatility has , from time to time , exerted pressure on industry margins and operating results . increased government regulation . government agencies , as a result of concerns about the public health consequences and health care costs associated with obesity , have been proposing and , in some cases , enacting new taxes or regulations on sugar-sweetened and diet beverages . any changes of regulations or imposed taxes could reduce demand and or cause us to raise our prices . 28 increased health consciousness . consumers are increasingly becoming more concerned about health and wellness , focusing on caloric intake and sugar content in both regular csds and juices , the use of artificial sweeteners in diet csds and the use of natural , organic or simple ingredients in lrb products . we believe the main beneficiaries of this trend include bottled waters , naturally sweetened , low calorie drinks , all natural and organic beverages and ready-to-drink teas . our completion of the bai brands merger on january 31 , 2017 will allow us to continue distribution and capture additional growth as a result of this key trend . increased competition in the lrb market . a number of our competitors are large corporations with significant financial resources . these competitors can use their resources and scale to rapidly respond to competitive pressures and changes in consumer preferences by introducing new products , reducing prices or increasing promotional activities , which could reduce the demand for our products . fluctuations in foreign exchange rates . we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate variability in the expected future cash flows associated with certain third-party and intercompany transactions denominated in currencies other than our mexican and canadian entities ' functional currencies . we use derivative instruments such as foreign exchange forward contracts to mitigate a portion of our exposure in these expected future cash flows to changes in foreign exchange rates . significant changes in these exchange rates will impact our results of operations . product and packaging innovation . we believe brand owners and bottling companies will continue to create new products and packages , such as beverages with new ingredients and new premium flavors and innovative convenient packaging , that address changes in consumer tastes and preferences . changing retailer landscape . as retailers continue to consolidate , we believe retailers will support consumer product companies that can provide an attractive portfolio of products , a strong value proposition and efficient delivery . refer to item 1a , `` risk factors `` of this annual report on form 10-k for additional information about risks and uncertainties facing our company . seasonality the beverage market is subject to some seasonal variations . our beverage sales are generally higher during the warmer months and also can be influenced by the timing of holidays as well as weather fluctuations . segments as of december 31 , 2017 , we report our business in four operating segments : the beverage concentrates segment reflects sales of the company 's branded concentrates and syrup to third party bottlers primarily in the u.s. and canada . most of the brands in this segment are carbonated soft drink brands . the packaged beverages excluding bai segment reflects sales in the u.s. and canada from the manufacture and distribution of finished beverages and other products , including sales of the company 's own brands and third party brands , through both dsd and wd . the bai segment reflects sales of bai brands finished goods to third party distributors , primarily in the u.s. , as net sales to the packaged beverages excluding bai segment are eliminated in consolidation . refer to note 3 of the notes to our audited consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the impact of bai brands merger on the company 's net sales presented in the consolidated statements of income . the latin america beverages segment reflects sales in the mexico , caribbean , and other international markets from the manufacture and distribution of concentrates , syrup and finished beverages . the company has determined that packaged beverages excluding bai and bai , which have been identified as operating segments , meet the aggregation criteria under u.s. gaap . as such , these segments have been aggregated into one reportable segment , packaged beverages , based on similarities among the operating units including economic characteristics , the nature of the products and services , the nature of the production processes , the types or class of customer for their products and services , the methods used to distribute their products and services and the nature of the regulatory environment . 29 volume in evaluating our performance , we consider different volume measures depending on whether we sell beverage concentrates or finished beverages . beverage concentrates sales volume in our beverage concentrates segment , we measure our sales volume in two ways : ( 1 ) `` concentrate case sales `` and ( 2 ) `` bottler case sales . `` the unit of measurement for both concentrate case sales and bottler case sales equals 288 fluid ounces of finished beverage , the equivalent of 24 twelve ounce servings . concentrate case sales represent units of measurement for concentrates sold by us to our bottlers and distributors . a concentrate case is the amount of concentrate needed to make one case of 288 fluid ounces of finished beverage . it does not include any other component of the finished beverage other than concentrate . our net sales in our concentrate businesses are based on our sales of concentrate cases . although net sales in our concentrate businesses are based on concentrate case sales , we believe that bottler case sales are also a significant measure of our performance because they measure sales of packaged beverages into retail channels . story_separator_special_tag sop in creased $ 31 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 , primarily driven by an increase in net sales which was partially offset by higher sg & a expenses . the increase in sg & a expenses was primarily the result of a $ 13 million increase in marketing investments and higher people costs , partially offset by lower incentive compensation . 35 volume ( bcs ) . volume ( bcs ) increased 1 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . canada dry and schweppes had gains of 4 % and 2 % , respectively , due to continued growth in the ginger ale category for both brands and the sparkling water category for canada dry . these increases were partially offset by decreases in a & w and 7up , which declined 2 % and 1 % , respectively , compared to the prior year . our other brands declined 1 % in total , primarily as a result of discontinuing the distribution of country time in 2016. dr pepper was flat compared to the prior year driven by increases in our fountain business fully offset by declines in ten and diet . packaged beverages the following table details our packaged beverages segment 's net sales and sop for the years ended december 31 , 2017 and 2016 : replace_table_token_7_th volume . branded csd volumes were flat for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . canada dry in creased 5 % due to continued growth in the ginger ale category . this increase was fully offset by a 2 % decrease in 7up , a 2 % decline in a & w and a 2 % decline in other csd brands . dr pepper was flat as growth in regular was fully offset by declines in ten and diet . branded ncb volumes in creased 4 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . bai increased 99 % driven by the acquired bai brands shipments to third parties since the bai brands merger and continued growth in our existing distribution as a result of distribution gains and product innovation . our growth allied brands gained 40 % due primarily to distribution gains for bodyarmor , core and fiji , and product innovation for bodyarmor . mott 's increased 1 % compared to the prior year as growth in our sauce products was partially offset by declines in juice . clamato increased 3 % . these increases were partially offset as snapple declined 3 % due to competitive headwinds , the de-emphasis on our value products , and lower promotional activity partially offset by the launch of our new pet packaging for our 16 oz . bottles and the takes 2 to mango flavor innovation . other ncb brands were 5 % lower , led by rockstar , arizona and hawaiian punch . the decline in rockstar is due to the loss of distribution rights beginning in april 2017. contract manufacturing increased 1 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . net sales . net sales in creased $ 175 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . net sales increased due to favorable product and package mix , as a result of our ncbs , including our allied brands , $ 64 million in acquired bai brands shipments to third parties since the bai brands merger , and higher organic sales volumes . these increases were partially offset by the loss of the rockstar distribution . sop . sop de creased $ 80 million for the year ended december 31 , 2017 , compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 , as increases in sg & a expenses and cost of sales more than offset the increase in net sales . cost of sales increased as a primary result of higher costs associated with product and package mix , as a result of our ncbs , including our allied brands , and an increase in costs associated with the acquired bai brands shipments to third parties since the bai brands merger and the initial $ 9 million profit in stock adjustment as a result of the bai brands merger . cost of sales was additionally impacted by the increase in other manufacturing costs and the unfavorable change in our lifo inventory provision . these increases were partially offset by the incremental profit margin benefit we experienced as a result of becoming the brand owner for bai brands and ongoing productivity improvements . sg & a expenses increased driven primarily by the bai brands merger , which includes the acquired operating costs , primarily marketing and people costs , as well as transaction and integration expenses . sg & a expenses further increased due to higher people costs , driven by inflationary increases and additional frontline labor investment . 36 latin america beverages the following table details our latin america beverages segment 's net sales and sop for the years ended december 31 , 2017 and 2016 : replace_table_token_8_th volume . sales volume in creased 3 % for the year ended december 31 , 2017 as compared with the year ended december 31 , 2016 . the in crease in sales volume was primarily driven by a 5 % in crease in peñafiel as a result of distribution gains , increased promotional activity and product innovation , partially offset by increased competition . squirt had a 2 % gain due to increased sales to third party bottlers and product innovation . clamato increased 2 % due to product innovation , distribution gains and increased promotional activity . our

