PARIS: Veolia Environnement SA, Europe’s biggest water company, said net income rose 74 percent last year, meeting analysts’ expectations, aided by higher revenue and lower costs.
Net income increased to 580.1 million euros from a restated 333 million euros a year earlier, the Paris-based company said yesterda in a statement, matching a 581.4 million euro average estimate of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
The utility confirmed its plan to increase dividend in the next three years in line with an 800 million euro recurring net income goal set for 2018 in December. That includes a dividend of 0.73 euro per share for last year, up from 0.70 euro a year earlier, with the payout then climbing by about 10 percent annually.