Barr profit up to £45m on revenue of £278m

Shares of Cumbernauld-based Irn-Bru maker A.G. Barr rose more than 3% after it said its profit before tax increased 4.2% to £44.9 million on revenue up 8% to £277.7 million in the year ended January 27, 2018.

Proposed final dividend of 11.84p per share will give a proposed total dividend for the year of 15.55p per share, an increase of 8%.

Barr also produces Rubicon, Strathmore and Funkin.

Barr CEO Roger White said: “Over the past 12 months we have delivered consistent broad-based sales growth across our portfolio, well ahead of the soft drinks market performance throughout the year, supported by successful innovation, strong core brands and further development of our partnerships.

“The UK economic landscape is expected to remain uncertain for business as a whole, with regulation, changing customer dynamics and consumer preferences adding further volatility for the soft drinks industry.

“We have a strong and flexible business model and a growing portfolio of brands, both established and nascent, which reflect the requirements of today’s changing consumers.

“We remain confident in our ability to capitalise on the opportunities to grow our business and deliver long-term value to shareholders”.