Slovenian drugmaker Krka reports 37% jump in H1 net profit (updated)

Krka dd Novo Mesto

04/07/2019 13:17

(Updates with quote, details)
    LJUBLJANA, July 4 (Reuters) - Slovenia's Krka  KRKG.LJ  made
a group net profit of 139.9 million euros ($158 million) in the
first half of the year, up 37% from a year earlier, the generic
drugs producer said in a statement on Thursday.
    It also said results for 2019 could be better than laid out
in its November plan according to which net profit this year
should reach 172 million euros on sales of 1.4 billion.
    "The management is optimistic about the business year 2019.
If conditions on our main markets will remain similar by the end
of the year as they are today we expect that sales and
particularly profit would be above our plans," Krka said.
    Preliminary sales in the first half rose by 12% to 761.8
million euros. Final results for the first half of the year will
be announced on Aug. 1.
    Krka, Slovenia's largest listed company with market
capitalisation of about 2 billion euros, said its sales in
eastern Europe, which is its largest market, rose by 15%
year-on-year while sales in western Europe were up by 17%.
    
($1 = 0.8861 euros)

 (Reporting by Marja Novak; editing by Jason Neely and David
Evans)
 ((Marja.Novak@thomsonreuters.com; +386-1-5058805, Reuters
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