Carlsberg to buy Baltika; profits and sales up

Carlsberg, the international brewer, says it will buy the remaining 15% stake in its Russian brewery venture Baltika this year as it reported a rise in Q4 profits and revenues.

Operating profits in the fourth quarter of 2011 were 1,83bn Danish crowns, up from 1.13bn in the same quarter in the previous year.

Revenues were 14.85 crowns (Q4 2010: 13.4bn). Carlsberg said the acquisition of the remaining 15% of Baltika would cost the brewer up to 6.5bn crowns.

“The Carlsberg Group will take the necessary steps to arrange for a delisting of Baltika as soon as possible,” the company said.

“We currently expect this to happen not later than May 2012.”

Chief executive Jorgen Buhl Rasmussen said: “While 2011 was a challenging year, with head-winds from rising input costs and a challenging Russian market, our Northern & Western European and Asian regions continued to perform well.”