(CercleFinance.com) – Lindt & Sprüngli reassured investors on Tuesday by publishing 2023 annual results above expectations, which did not prevent investors from worrying about the fallout from the recent surge in cocoa prices.
The Swiss chocolatier reported this morning an operating profit (Ebit) up 9% to 813 million Swiss francs last year, while financial analysts anticipated an average of 804 million.
Its net profit increased by 17.9% to 671.4 million Swiss francs, an increase which will allow it to increase the amount of its dividend from 100 francs to 1,400 Swiss francs for each ordinary share and to 10 francs to 140 Swiss francs for each preferential share.
In January, Lindt announced that it had recorded organic growth of 10.3% in its turnover in 2023, its third year in a row of double-digit organic growth.
The manufacturer of Lindor chocolate balls – its best-selling product – has once again confirmed its objective of organic growth of 6% to 8% in sales in 2024, accompanied by an improvement of 20 to 40 basis points in its operating margin.
Despite these solid prospects, analysts say they fear the effect of soaring cocoa prices, due to difficult climatic conditions, particularly intense heat, in West Africa, which have had a negative impact on production. of cocoa.
Around 11:20 a.m., the stock lost 1.5% on the Zurich Stock Exchange, while the index bringing together European agri-food stocks fell 0.3%.
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