CEO Leif Bergvall Hansen comments on the first quarter
I am pleased to report net sales of MSEK 1,593.8, a growth of 15 percent compared to the first quarter last year.
Sweden and Norway made the largest contributions and grew by 15 percent and 17 percent respectively, while Denmark grew by 6 percent. Net sales in Finland were in line with the fourth quarter 2016. The growth in net sales was driven by increased demand and improved market positions.
As in the fourth quarter 2016, the operating margin was adversely affected by the effects of bird flu but to a lesser extent. The price pressure in Denmark continued in both the local market and on exports. We were still able to report an adjusted operating income for the quarter of MSEK 59.3, which was a large improvement from MSEK 32.9 in the fourth quarter 2016.