Sodexo sees profit and sales growth in FY 2014/15

PARIS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - French catering-to-vouchers group Sodexo on Thursday predicted that its revenue and operating profit would rise in the fiscal year 2014-2015 because of anticipated strong demand in Latin America and Asia and cost savings.

The world's No.2 catering services company after Britain's Compass Group (Other OTC: CMPGF - news) also posted a 2.3 percent rise in like-for-like revenue to 18.02 billion euros ($22.42 billion dollar) in the fiscal year ended August 31.

Operating profit before exceptional items rose slightly to 966 million euros from 964 million euros a year earlier, the group said in a statement.

Sodexo was expected to post revenue of 18.08 billion euros and operating profit of 967 million euros, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

For the fiscal year 2014-15, Sodexo forecast underlying revenue growth of around 3 percent and a rise in operating profit, excluding currency effects, of 10 percent. (1 US dollar = 0.8036 euro) (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Leila Abboud)