Vespa-maker Piaggio's profit jumps 18% on growing global presence

Nov 6 (Reuters) - Italian motor vehicle group Piaggio, known for its ​iconic Vespa scooters, reported an almost 18% rise in its nine-month net profit on Friday, with sales growth driven by its strong performance in India and growing presence in the Americas.

"The guidance drawn up for 2026 is still closely linked to the need for a level of geopolitical and economic stability that can have a positive impact on consumer propensity to spend," Piaggio said in the earnings statement, without providing precise forecast numbers.

• Net profit rose to €37.3 million ($41.8 million) in the January-September period, compared with €31.7 million a year ago

• The group sold 388,800 ​vehicles as of the end of September, up around 12% annually

• The Indian market volumes grew by 31%, while the European market share remained stable at 17.8%

• "Our various production and commercial sites around the world allow us to offset the current high production costs arising from energy, freight transport and increasing raw material costs," CEO Michele Colaninno said

($1 = 0.8930 euros)

(Reporting by Mirko Miorelli in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)