World cup sales, warm weather push up Carlsberg beer sales

COPENHAGEN – Danish brewer Carlsberg says its second-quarter sales were above expectations thanks to the World Cup and warm weather, allowing the Copenhagen-based company to raise its full-year outlook.

Carlsberg said Thursday that its reported net profit for the second half of 2018 was 2.47 billion kroner ($ 375 million), up 7.2 per cent. It gave no profit figure for the second quarter.

Its second quarter revenue rose to 18.26 billion kroner ($2.80 billion), from 17.47 billion kroner.

CEO Cees ‘t Hart said Carlsberg “delivered strong results (…) with healthy top-line growth, margin improvements across the regions, strong cash flow and continued debt reduction.”

Carlsberg expects a “high-single-digit percentage organic growth in operating profit” for the full year, up from a previous forecast for mid-single-digit growth.

Shares rose 3.1 per cent to 787.4 kroner.