Kerry Group said today its after-tax profits for the first half of the year rose 23.4 per cent to €77.4 million as like-for-like sales grew 5 per cent.
Kerry said adjusted earnings per share rose 14.8 per cent to €41.8 cents, in line with market expectations, and overall sales rose 34.3 per cent to €1.8 billion, boosted in part by the acquisition of Cork-based Golden Vale.
"Our food ingredients, flavours, consumer foods and foodservice operations continue to grow and develop in line with Group projections and we expect a good outturn for the full year," Group Managing Director Mr Hugh Friel said in a statement.
The company said its interim dividend per share was up 12.3 per cent to €3.65 cents while it also incurred restructuring costs of €25.5 million.
Kerry, which is the ISEQ's seventh-biggest listed company in market capitalisation, said sales in Ireland almost doubled to €627.1 million, boosted largely by the acquisition of Golden Vale.
Sales for Europe as a whole, excluding Ireland, were up 10.5 per cent to €628.3 million, the company said.