Austria's top economic news - February 24

Regional utility EVN said its net profit rose 18.6% to EUR 87.9m in the first quarter of fiscal 2010/11. EBIT grew 9.4% to EUR 104.1m. The results exceeded the analysts' expectations. Sales went up 4.3% to EUR 802.2m. The company said it expects its full-year EBIT to be at the 2009/10 level, while the net profit to be slightly lower.

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Sports items maker Head raised its adjusted operating profit to EUR 22.69m in 2010 from EUR 11.96m in

2009. The growth was due to strong winter sport sales and the company's restructuring measures, CFO Günter 

Hagspiel said. Sales in the period went up 8% to EUR 343.68m.

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Plastics maker Borealis, in which OMV owns 36%, said its 2010 net profit soared to EUR 333m from EUR 38m in 2009. Sales grew to EUR 6.27bn from EUR 4.71bn. The improvement was due to enhanced general conditions in all company's activities, as well as thanks to higher efficiency.

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Beko Holding AG reduced its EBIT loss to EUR 0.25m for the first quarter of fiscal 2010/11 from EUR 0.65m a year earlier thanks to the divestment of its stakes in All for One Midmarket AG, Brain Force Holding AG and Triplan Holding. Sales grew 28.4% to EUR 13m. The company sees sales of between EUR 50m and EUR 52m for full 2010/11.

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Henkel Central Eastern Europe, part of German Henkel, said its 2010 sales grew 12.2% to EUR 2.88bn on euro basis. The company's sales in Austria increased 6% to EUR 214m. One-third of the sales were registered in Russia.