Radiotherapy gear group Elekta's profit up despite Ukraine, supply headwinds

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Radiation therapy equipment maker Elekta posted on Wednesday an unexpected rise in quarterly profit despite headwinds from global supply chain issues, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pandemic lockdowns in China.

Operating profit in the Swedish group's fiscal fourth quarter grew to 570 million crowns ($58.3 million) from a year-ago 545 million on 5% sales growth. Analysts polled by Refinitiv had on average forecast a drop in profit to 525 million. [L5N2XF0J9]

"The constraints in global supply chains continued, now also impacted by the war in Ukraine and lockdowns in China. However, we were able to drive higher installation volumes than last year, with a strong finish of the quarter," CEO Gustaf Salford said in a statement.

"For the first quarter 2022/23 we do not see a change in the macro environment with continued inflation and supply chain challenges impacting our installations, costs and margins," he said.

Elekta proposed an annual dividend of 2.40 crowns per share, up from 2.20 crowns.

($1 = 9.7832 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Christopher Cushing)