(Adds opg profit and sales breakdown; changes sales figure upward to 23.321 bln)
PARIS (Thomson Financial) - Veolia Environnement said sales in the first nine months of the year were 23.321 bln eur, up 13.3 pct from a year earlier, largely due to acquisitions as external growth accounted for more than half of the gain.
The figure was near the high end of analysts' estimates.
Veolia also confirmed its full year growth and profitability guidance.
Operating profit for the period was 1.754 bln eur, up 12.7 pct from 1.557 bln a year earlier.
The 13.3 pct sales growth came from 7.3 pct external growth plus 6.7 pct from like-for-like growth, with a negative 0.7 pct coming from foreign exchange factors, mainly the weaker dollar.
Sales outside France rose to 55.5 pct of total company sales from 52.6 pct a year earlier.
The waste management division, as expected, posted the strongest growth with an 8.0 pct year-on-year sales gain, to 6.678 bln eur from 5.362 bln. External growth in this sector was 18.3 pct. tfn.paris@thomson.com mjs/ejp/mjs/ra COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
© 2007 AFX News
