Business briefing: SABMiller | DMTG | Asda

SABMiller, the world’s second-biggest brewer, said margins would improve in the year ahead after strong growth in Africa and Latin America kept profits on track.

The maker of Grolsch, Peroni and Pilsner Urquell said strong growth in developing markets would continue to offset difficulties in Europe and the United States and it would increase some of its prices.

The group hiked its full year dividend by 11 per cent and said profits on the Ebita measure rose 14 per cent to $6.4 billion (£4.2bn) in the last financial year, in line with City expectations.

Web adverts help DMGT grow profits

The owner of the Daily Mail said it expected to deliver solid profit growth this year after strength in its websites and its events division helped it to meet forecasts for the last six months.

DMGT, which publishes the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers, said operating profit for the group was up 7 per cent on an underlying basis at £97 million, helped by growth from digital advertising, trade publishing and cost cuts.

Cost efficiencies and a solid performance in digital advertising helped its media unit post profit growth.

Scottish Asda staff selected for US trip

Asda is to fly 25 members of staff from Scotland to its parent company’s shareholder meeting in the US next month.

The UK’s second-largest supermarket said the employees will join senior executives and 30,000 other Wal-Mart colleagues at the annual conference in Arkansas.

Asda employs 19,500 people across Scotland and operations director Craig Bonnar said: “Although everyone deserves to go, we’ve chosen a small selection of colleagues to represent their store and communities and we’re sure they will do them proud.”