FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

OUR PERFORMANCE AT A GLANCE:
£2,226m OPERATING PROFIT, 
34.35p RECOMMENDED FULL YEAR DIVIDEND PER SHARE,
£8,090m NET SALES,
59.3p BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE,
£1,252m FREE CASH FLOW
  2008 2007 Reported
movement
Organic
movement
Volume in millions of equivalent units 145.0 141.3 3% 3%
Net sales (£ million) 8,090 7,481 8% 7%
Operating profit before exceptionals (£ million) 2,304 2,119 9% 9%
Operating profit (£ million) 2,226 2,159 3% 9%
Profit attributable to parent company's equity shareholders* (£ million) 1,521 1,489 2%  
Basic eps* (pence) 59.3 55.4 7%  

*For the year ended 30 June 2008 recorded effective tax rate of 24.9%. For the year ended 30 June 2007 recorded effective tax rate of 32.4%.

INFORMATION PRESENTED

Unless otherwise stated in this document: net sales are sales after deducting excise duties and percentage movements are organic movements. Commentary, unless otherwise stated, refers to organic movements. Share, unless otherwise stated, refers to value share. See the ‘Business review’ for an explanation of organic movement calculations. The market data contained in this document is taken from independent industry sources in the markets in which Diageo operates.

OTHER KEY HIGHLIGHTS: MARKETING SPEND INCREASED 5%;
STRONG FREE CASH FLOW OF £1,252 MILLION;
RECOMMENDED FULL YEAR DIVIDEND PER SHARE INCREASE OF 5% TO 34.35P;
£1.9 BILLION RETURNED TO SHAREHOLDERS: £857 MILLION IN DIVIDENDS AND £1,000 MILLION OF SHARE BUYBACKS
BRAND PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW Volume
movement*
%
Reported
net sales
movement
%
Organic
net sales
movement
%
Global priority brands 4 8 6
Local priority brands 2 10 4
Category brands 1 8 10
Total 3 8 7
Key spirits brands:**      
Smirnoff vodka 8 12 10
Johnnie Walker 5 14 12
Captain Morgan 8 10 13
Baileys 1 6 3
J&B 5 15 9
José Cuervo (4) (5) (3)
Tanqueray 1 2 4
Crown Royal – North America 5 5 9
Buchanan's – International (2) 15 5
Windsor – Asia Pacific 7 (17) (12)
Guinness 1 9 6
Ready to drink (7) (4) (5)
  • * Reported and organic volume movements are the same for all brands in all regions.
  • ** Spirits brands excluding ready to drink.