Beverage maker Suntory Ltd. said Wednesday its group net profit for the business year to Dec. 31 grew 13.3 percent over a year earlier to 22.99 billion yen.
The increase was largely due to cost cuts such as the efficient use of marketing and advertising expenses, it said.
Group pretax profit fell 18.5 percent to 56.23 billion yen on a 4.6 percent decline in consolidated sales to 1.32 trillion yen, reflecting sluggish economic activity, a tax increase on "happoshu" low-malt beer and unseasonably low temperatures in summer, it said.