PURE.L Share News (PURE)

Stevia ingredients maker PureCircle has painted an upbeat outlook, as increased demand for lower-calorie fizzy drinks resulted in a 24% jump in sales in the first half.The company said that the six-month period ended 31 December 2014 was helped by "milestone product launches and new market roll-outs" by clients.Coca-Cola's new 'Life' drink sweetened with Stevia leaf extract has already been rolled out across the US, Mexico, UK, France and Sweden, while similar products by rival Pepsico were launched in the US, Canada and Finland."These developments coupled with our strategy of introducing new and innovative ingredients and solutions to meet identified market needs and our global customer service infrastructure and smart partnerships are continuing to win business for PureCircle," said chief executive Magomet Malsagov.PureCircle said sales were expected to total $43m in the first half, up from $34.8m in the same period the year before.Margins and operating profits are forecast to have increased by a similar rate."These developments coupled with our strategy of introducing new and innovative ingredients and solutions to meet identified market needs and our global customer service infrastructure and smart partnerships are continuing to win business for PureCircle," Malsagov said.