Aug 15, 2019
Carlsberg Profit Jumps in First Half as Craft Beer Sales Rise
Bloomberg News
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Carlsberg A/S, which last week raised its full-year forecast, reported a strong first half after its sales of craft beers jumped 17% from a year earlier.
The development spurred 25% growth in net profit to 3.1 billion kroner ($460 million), the Danish company said on Thursday. “All our key growth priorities –- craft & specialties, alcohol-free brews and Asia -– delivered good growth,” the company said.
- Carlsberg is also starting the second stage of a previously announced share buyback program and plans to repurchase 2 billion kroner of its own stock.
Key Insights
- After having spent several years cutting costs, Carlsberg’s Chief Executive Officer Cees ’t Hart is now focusing boosting sales growth, which it’s achieving through high-end beers such as Grimbergen and Jacobsen ales.
- Last week, the company’s shares soared the most in almost a decade after Carlsberg raised its forecast: it now sees organic operating profit rising at a high single-digit percentage rate, after previously forecasting growth in the mid-single-digits.
- Carlsberg’s and AB InBev’s positive performances contrast that of rival Heineken NV, which lagged behind in the most recent period.
Market Reaction
- The shares have risen 37% this year. Trading is due to start at 9 a.m. local time in Copenhagen.
Get More
- Carlsberg’s first-half results, click here.
- Read the statement.
To contact the reporters on this story: Christian Wienberg in Copenhagen at cwienberg@bloomberg.net;Thomas Buckley in London at tbuckley25@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Eric Pfanner at epfanner1@bloomberg.net, Christian Wienberg, Tasneem Hanfi Brögger
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