Consumer products maker Procter & Gamble today said second-quarter profit rose 4 per cent to $1.3 billion, beating Wall Street forecasts.
P&G shares rose 6.2 per cent to $71 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange. In the past year the stock has under-performed the Dow Jones index by about 30 percent.
In the food and beverage segment, which includes Pringles potato chips and Sunny Delight drinks, fourth-quarter earnings fell 9 per cent due to lower volume. The paper segment posted 1 per cent growth in earnings as pricing and cost controls countered currency factors and higher raw material prices.
Overall, second-quarter revenue fell 4 per cent, to $10.18 billion from $10.59 billion a year earlier, as the weak euro cut into sales. Unit volume fell 2 per cent compared with record levels a year ago.
Reuters