Suntory Expands Group Net Profit 50% to Record 26 Bil. Yen

By Kyodo News International, Tokyo

Feb. 22–OSAKA — Liquor maker Suntory Ltd. said Wednesday its group net profit in 2005 expanded 50.6 percent from the previous year to a record 26 billion yen thanks to a profit on sales of shares in a foreign partner.

Consolidated sales increased 4.3 percent to 1.37 trillion yen as food sales including tea beverages rose 6.4 percent.

Liquor sales growth was limited to 0.6 percent as the beer business remained in the red.

Suntory President Nobutada Saji told a press conference the beer business is indispensable for Suntory as an alcoholic beverage maker.

Suntory’s beer business should turn profitable if its market share rises by 2 or 3 percentage points, he said.

For 2006, Suntory projects 17 billion yen in group net profit on 1.43 trillion yen in sales.

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