"Performance" Carlsberg's natural operating profit grew by 5% last year, exceeding expectations

The world's third-largest brewer, Carlsberg, saw its organic operating profit grow by 5% to DKK 13.99 billion last year, exceeding market expectations, benefiting from cost reductions and the acquisition of soft drink manufacturer Britvic, which brought in better-than-expected earnings. Carlsberg expects its organic operating profit to grow by 2% to 6% year-on-year this year.

Last year, Carlsberg's beer sales increased by 17.7%, while organic beer sales declined by 2%. Excluding San Miguel beer, organic beer sales in Western Europe increased by 1.3%, while the Asian market saw a decline of 2.4%, and Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Indian market also fell by 0.6%