BERLIN — First-quarter net profits for Beiersdorf AG increased 9 percent to 181 million euros, or $204.2 million, with both its consumer products and adhesives divisions contributing to the gains.
The maker of Nivea, Eucerin and La Prairie registered an 8.5 percent rise in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to 255 million euros, or $287.7 million.
Dollar figures are converted at average exchange for the three-month period ended March 31.
Group sales for the Hamburg-based firm advanced 0.7 percent to 1.71 billion euros, or $1.93 billion. On a like-for-like basis, revenues grew 6.9 percent. The weakening of the euro played a role in boosting sales growth abroad, the company said.
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Beiersdorf’s consumer products division reported revenues of 1.41 billion euros, or $1.59 billion, an uptick of 0.7 percent. On an organic basis, company sales advanced 6.7 percent.
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Quarterly sales for Nivea rose 1.7 percent; Eucerin, 5.3 percent, and La Prairie, 1.1 percent. The consumer division’s growth was boosted by dynamic performances in Europe and the Americas, particularly Eastern Europe, where revenues increased 9.9 percent, and Latin America, where they rose 9.4 percent.
Beiersdorf’s Tesa adhesives arm registered sales growth of 8.1 percent to 295 million euros, or $332.9 million, due to positive business trends in the automotive industry.
Beiersdorf confirmed its outlook for 2015, saying it expected both group sales and consumer business sales to increase by 3 percent to 5 percent, with consumer sales forecast to outperform the market.
The company also named a new chief financial officer, Jesper Andersen, who will join Beiersdorf’s executive board on May 18. He most recently was Colgate-Palmolive’s cfo for North America.
Andersen is to gradually take over responsibility of Beiersdorf’s finance division from Ulrich Schmidt as of Sept. 1. Schmidt is to retire on April 1, 2016.