Sales and cost-cutting help Church & Dwight 1Q results

PRINCETON, N.J.—Church & Dwight Co., which makes Arm & Hammer products and other consumer products, said Thursday that first-quarter profit rose 25 percent, helped by higher sales and cost-cutting that offset rising commodity costs.

Quarterly profit rose to $56.2 million, or 81 cents per share, from $45.1 million, or 66 cents per share last year.

Revenue rose 8 percent to $552.9 million from $514.3 million last year.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, predicted a profit of 72 cents per share on revenue of $547.6 million.

The company said higher revenue was due to sales of new products, higher marketing spending and higher prices.

Gross margin improved as cost-cutting and increased selling prices offset "significantly higher" commodity costs, the company said.

Domestically, revenue rose 4 percent to $382.8 million, helped by sales of Arm & Hammer Super Scoop cat litter, Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent, First Response pregnancy test kits and other products.