Paul Coulson, chairman and main shareholder in Ardagh Group, which saw its earnings rise in the second quarter. Photograph: Alan BetsonEarnings at Paul Coulson’s Ardagh Group rose 15.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, driven by a strong performance by its Americas beverage cans business and an African acquisition, even as the business dealt with rising energy and raw material costs and a strengthening dollar.
Group sales jumped to $2.49 billion in the second quarter from $1.87 billion, with each of the group’s four segments reporting an increase. One euro was worth $1.14 at the end of last year, but had fallen in value to $1.05 by the end of June. Meanwhile, Ardagh Group was awarded $84 million earlier this month by an arbitration court to settle a case with French industrial group Saint-Gobain.