BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Heineken (AS:HEIN), the world's second-largest beer maker, said on Wednesday it expects operating profit this year to grow by a mid-single digit percentage after 2019 earnings came in line with expectations.
The Dutch maker of Heineken, Europe's top-selling lager, as well as Tiger, Sol and Strongbow cider, said its annual operating profit before one-offs rose by 3.9% on a like-for-like basis last year to 4.02 billion euros ($4.39 billion).
The company had tempered profit hopes in October, saying it would rise by 4%, the bottom of its previous forecast of mid-single digit percentage growth.
Heineken said volume and price growth, together with consumers shifting up to more expensive beers, and a more moderate rise in input costs would lead to mid-single digit percentage rise in operating profit this year.
The average market expectation is for profit growth of 6% this year, according to a company-compiled consensus.