Rolls-Royce Posts Rise In 2011 Profit, Lifts Dividend By 9%

Rolls-Royce Group PLC (OTC: RRCEF) reported an increase in its 2011 earnings and lifted its dividend by 9%.

Rolls-Royce's net profit for the period surged to GBP850 million, from GBP539 million, in the year-ago period. Its revenue surged to GBP11.12 billion from GBP11.09 billion.

Rolls-Royce's underlying pretax profit gained 21% to GBP1.16 billion, from GBP955 million, versus analysts' expectations of GBP1.15 billion.

Rolls-Royce proposed a dividend of 17.5 pence per share, versus 16 pence per share in 2010.