Rexam issues trading update
Rexam has issued a trading update for the period from 1 January 2015. Results for the Group are in line with the company’s plans.
• Overall global beverage can volumes were up 5% (3.5% excluding the acquisition of UAC) in the first quarter
• Volumes in Europe were strong driven by good growth in energy drinks and growth in Russia, UK, Germany and Italy
• There were robust performances in India and Egypt, offset by softness in the Middle East
• In North America, standard volumes were down in line with the market while specialty volumes continued to grow driven by energy drinks
• Volumes in South America, after a strong start to the year, slowed down towards the end of the quarter, as expected, with continued growth in specialty cans outweighed by lower standard volumes.
Graham Chipchase, Rexam’s chief executive says, “Overall performance so far this year has been in line with our plans. Volume growth has been strong in Europe with good growth in energy drinks. Volumes in India and Egypt continued to perform well offsetting some softness in the Middle East. In North America, the soft drinks market remains challenging, but we did see growth in specialty volumes. South America volumes, after a strong start to the year, slowed down towards the end of the quarter, as expected.
We continue to expect 2015 to present a tough trading environment, but, as ever, we will focus on tight cost management and the elements of our business that we know we can control.”
