Copenhagen- Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S on Wednesday posted a 52-per-cent jump in operating profit for 2008 despite lagging beer sales at the end of the year as it completed the acquisition of British brewer Scottish and Newcastle PLC

The group's operating profit before special items was 7.9 billion kroner (1.3 billion dollars), compared with 5.2 billion kroner for 2007.

Turnover increased 34 per cent to 59.9 billion kroner while net profit was 2.6 billion kroner.

During the year, Carlsberg's beer sales increased 3 per cent, of which acquisitions accounted for 33 per cent of the growth, it said.

Chief executive Jorgen Buhl Rasmussen said "2008 was a year of significant progress," noting the completion of the Scottish and Newcastle acquisition.

For 2009 and amid the global economic recession, Carlsberg aimed to focus on "increasing cash flow and protecting earnings, cost control, significantly reducing capital expenditure and accelerating debt repayment," he added in a statement.

The Danish brewer operates in more than 150 markets and sold the equivalent of 95 million bottles of beer a day in 2007. (dpa)