Heineken profits up 25 percent to 1.89 bn euros in 2015

Dutch brewing giant Heineken on Wednesday announced a 25-percent rise in net profits for 2015, on the back of higher sales and favourable exchange rates.

The full-year net attributable profit was 1.89 billion euros ($2.13 billion), compared with 1.52 billion euros in 2014, while turnover was up 6.5 percent to 20.51 billion euros.

Chief executive Jean-Francois van Boxmeer paid tribute to what he called the company's "unique geographic diversity and our portfolio of premium brands."

The Amsterdam-based brewer had "continued to invest for future growth, by entering or expanding our presence in markets including Myanmar, Ivory Coast, East Timor, Jamaica, Malaysia, Slovenia and South Africa," he added.

Sales were highest in 2015 in Europe and North America where Heineken has teamed up with US craft brewer Lagunitas.

Valued at around 35 billion euros, Heineken is the world's third-largest brewer after SABMiller and global number one InBev which are in takeover talks.

Heineken produces and sells more than 250 brands of beer and cider, and employs about 81,000 people around the world.

Looking ahead to 2016, the company said it expected to register more "profit growth despite an increasingly challenging external environment."