By Matteo Castia

Diageo PLC said Thursday that net profit fell in the first half of fiscal 2021 on lower net sales due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The London-based maker of Johnnie Walker scotch, Guinness stout and Smirnoff vodka made a net profit of 1.58 billion pounds ($2.16 billion) in the six months ended 31 Dec., compared with GBP1.87 billion for the same period a year earlier. Pretax profit was GBP2.20 billion, down from GBP2.46 billion.

Net sales fell to GBP6.87 billion, from GBP7.20 billion the prior year. Still, "North America, our largest market, performed particularly strongly and ahead of our expectations," Chief Executive Ivan Menezes said.

The board declared a dividend of 27.96 pence, up from 27.41 pence a year earlier, continuing an uninterrupted streak of dividend growth that started in 1999.

Write to Matteo Castia at matteo.castia@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-28-21 0233ET