Danone recorded “very strong” first-quarter sales today (14 April) as the dairy-to-water group recorded double-digit growth in its priority markets – including Russia, the US and Brazil.

For the quarter ended 31 March, net sales grew 19.6% to EUR4.7bn (US$6.8bn). Excluding the impact of exchange rates and consolidation, sales were up 8.5%, reflecting a 5% rise in volumes, and a 3.5% increase in value on a like-for-like basis.

Fresh dairy sales rose 6.5% for the quarter to reach EUR2.8bn, while baby nutrition sales were up 9.3% to EUR910m.

Danone said it does not expect any change in consumer spending in either industrialised or emerging economies but expects raw material prices to remain on a “volatile upward path”. It has forecast raw material packaging and costs to increase by 6-9% on average over the year, with a steeper increase in the first half.

It said that it will work to manage the increases through “consistently high productivity”, while using pricing to maintain a “competitive edge” adding that it has “increased room to manoeuvre” due to its 2009 repositioning programme.

Shares in Danone were up 1.85% to EUR47.7 a share at 11:04 CET

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.