Nestlé: 4.6 per cent organic growth

Consolidated sales by the Nestlé Group in Swiss francs were 20.5 bn Sfr (13.3 bn €) during the first quarter of 2005, equivalent to an increase of 0.3 per cent compared with the same period last year. The influence of exchange rates on reported sales was perceptible once again and came to -3.3 per cent. Organic growth was 4.6 per cent and was made up of real internal growth of 2.6 per cent and price increases of 2 per cent. Divestments net of acquisitions reduced reported sales by 1 per cent. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman and CEO of Nestlé, commented: "Our satisfactory first quarter growth is in line with our expectations. I can thus confirm our full-year organic growth target of between 5 and 6 percent.” Pet products in particular recorded organic growth of 6.4 per cent, which is attributable to sales in the USA.