pernod ricard said thursday that it is confident of further sales growth and sustained profitability for the rest of the fiscal year after higher pricing buoyed the groups top line in the fiscal second quarter the french distiller made sales of 712 billion euros 761 billion in the six months to dec 31 rising 12 on an organic basis analysts had expected halfyear sales of eur697 billion according to a factsetcompiled poll recurring operating profit rose at the same rate as sales totalling eur242 billion the groups operating leverage was broadly flat while the gross margin expanded several basis points to 614 the margin and sales were driven higher especially by pricing pernod ricard particularly strong pricing dynamic illustrates the attractiveness of our portfolio of premium brands and enabled us to sustain margins in an inflationary context chief executive alexandre ricard said the maker of absolut vodka and jameson whiskey will further increase pricing in the second half of the fiscal year it said the company expects further topline growth albeit in a normalizing environment and to sustain its operating margin despite a planned stepup in investment in capital expenditure and in strategic inventories