Carlsberg expects operating profit to grow by 3-10% in 2021

Danish brewer Carlsberg on Friday reported fourth-quarter sales slightly below expectations and said it expects operating profit to grow between 3% to 10% in 2021.

"While the pandemic is not yet behind us and we don't know how long it will remain a challenge in 2021, we believe that Carlsberg will emerge even stronger from the crisis," Chief Executive Cees 't Hart said in a statement.

The world's third-biggest brewer said sales in the fourth quarter came in at 12.5 billion Danish crowns ($2.01 billion), just below the 13.1 billion estimated by analysts in a Refinitiv poll.