Carlsberg reports 34% profit increase

Danish brewer Carlsberg posted an in-line 34 per cent rise in first-half operating profit today and maintained its full-year …

Danish brewer Carlsberg posted an in-line 34 per cent rise in first-half operating profit today and maintained its full-year financial forecast.

Operating profit rose to $236 million in the January-June period, spot on with an average forecast in a Reuters poll.

In Britain, Carlsberg Breweries's biggest market, its Carlsberg-Tetley brand won market share and improved profitability.

In Eastern Europe, operating profit rose 33 per cent to 652 million crowns; profit margin was down 2.8 percentage points at 17.1 per cent.