Danone lifts sales goal for first time in four years and pledges to boost fresh-dairy profitability

Danone, the world’s biggest yoghurt maker, gave a higher sales goal for the first time in four years yesterday as it pledged to boost profitability at its fresh-dairy business, which represents more than half of the French company’s revenue.

The company said sales growth should exceed 5% by 2020 on a like-for-like basis, according to notes from analysts at Kepler Cheuvreux and Exane BNP Paribas.

Emmanuel Faber, who became chief executive a year ago, was presenting his strategy in a three-day seminar that ended yesterday in Evian in France.