Irn-Bru manufacturer AG Barr has defied the lacklustre economy and poor weather to post a 4.3% rise in underlying pre-tax profit for last year and said there remains a "compelling rationale" for a proposed tie-up with English rival Britvic.
Cumbernauld-based AG Barr saw earnings rise to £35m for the year to January 26, up from £33.6m for the previous 12 months.
Revenues were ahead 6.6% at £237.6m.
Chief executive Roger White said: “AG Barr has delivered a robust financial performance and continued to grow well ahead of the UK soft drinks market in the period.
"This once more proves the resilience of our operating model and the potential of our brands. Across the year, market conditions have remained difficult, specifically impacted by poor summer weather and further cost of goods inflation."
Phil Carroll, analyst at Shore Capital, said it had been a "robust" performance by the Scottish company.
AG Barr is awaiting approval from the Competition Commission on an all-share merger with Britvic, but a decision could be several months away.
Mr White said: "We are now entering a period of significant workload associated with the Competition Commission enquiry, however the AG Barr board considers there to be a compelling rationale for clearance and that the benefits of the transaction remain significant for both shareholder groups."
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