"We were even able to mitigate the negative impact we saw from the disastrous events in Japan last month as our Asian/ Pacific region contributed with an increase in sales," outgoing Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz said in a statement on Tuesday. Prior to the update, analysts had been expecting the group, the world's number 3 sporting goods maker after Nike and Adidas, to report 2011 sales of about 2.9 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll.
Puma, owned by French luxury group PPR, is aiming to increase sales to 4 billion euros by 2015 under its 'Back on the Attack' strategy.
Sales for the three months to end-March rose 9 percent, adjusted for currency effects, to 773 million euros, while earnings before interest and tax rose 2 percent to 111 million.