UPDATE 1-Danisco year meets forecasts, see growth in 2009-10
* Sees 2009-10 EBIT up to 1.3 bln crowns, sales up 3-4 pct
* 2008-09 EBIT 1.25 billion crowns, in line with guidance
* 2008-09 sales 13.0 billion crowns, as indicated in May
* Shares down 3.7 percent
(Adds detail, quotes, share price)
COPENHAGEN, June 24 (Reuters) - Danish food ingredients and enzymes maker Danisco A/S (DCO.CO) met expectations with a 14 percent fall in full-year operating profit on Wednesday, and forecast a small increase in 2009-10 profit and sales.
"The outlook for 2009/10 is very conservative, but that was what we could have expected. With three new board members that might just be a good idea, giving them a chance to get a positive start to the new fiscal year," Sydbank analyst Rune Dahl said.
Danisco shares were down 3.7 percent at 211 crowns at 1030 GMT when the Danish bluechip index was up 1.6 percent.
The company said it expected 2009-10 earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to rise to 1.3 billion Danish crowns ($242 million) and revenue to grow 3-4 percent.
EBIT before special items for the year ended April 30 fell to 1.25 billion crowns. That was at the top of an EBIT range of 1.23-1.25 billion crowns Danisco guided for in a May trading announcement. Analysts' median estimate in a Reuters poll had been for EBIT of 1.22 billion crowns.
Full-year revenues rose 6 percent to 13.0 billion crowns.
Chief executive Tom Knutzen said Danisco saw a need "to improve our performance through higher earnings, better utilisation of our capital employed and reductions in our net working capital". (Additional reporting by Peter Levring and Teis Jensen; Editing by Dan Lalor) ($1 = 5.371 Danish crowns)
