Bekaert’s consolidated turnover amounted to 4.8 billion euros, an increase of 28 percent compared to 2020. The growth is partly due to higher sales volumes and higher prices. Operating profit rose by 89 percent to EUR 515 million. Bekaert raises its dividend by 50 percent after the “superior results”. It will propose a gross dividend of EUR 1.5 per share at the general meeting in May.
With regard to this year, Bekaert expects further sales growth. The company emphasizes that “global supply chain disruptions and transport cost inflation” will continue and also refers to the conflict in Ukraine, where Bekaert has no production. “The uncertainties and instability facing the world today and the early stage of the current fiscal year limit visibility of market evolutions for 2022,” it said.