Heineken had disappointed investors earlier in the year with weaker-than-expected half-year figures and underwhelming full-year guidance.

The company said its namesake brand, which it prices higher than others in its portfolio, drove growth with volumes up 8.7% globally. In Africa and the Middle East and Asia Pacific, the increases were in double digits. Non-alcoholic beer and cider also grew 11%.

Heineken has been struggling with the US market, where depressed consumer spending has hit sales. Volume growth in in Brazil for the period helped dampen declines in Mexico and the US, and the region’s volume drop of 1.3% was partly offset by pricing.

In Europe, poor summer weather prevented brewers from fully taking advantage of sporting events, which traditionally draw customers into bars and pubs.

The company, which makes more than 300 brands including Amstel, Red Stripe and Sol, has stepped up investments in marketing in key territories and pushed sales of zero-alcohol beer Heineken 0.0, which grew 3.4% in the quarter, led by sales in Brazil, the US and Vietnam.

"Our business continues to deliver in line with our plan in aggregate despite some markets navigating challenging consumer and industry trends," Chief Executive Dolf van den Brink said in a statement.

The company left its full-year guidance of 4-8% organic operating profit growth unchanged.

Trevor Stirling, analyst at Bernstein, said no one wanted or expected Heineken to change its guidance, and for now "boring is good" after Heineken missed the mark in recent years.

"It needs to re-establish credibility, and that will take time, one in-line quarter is not enough, it's going to take two, three, four," he said. Heineken shares rose in early trade.

Bloomberg and Reuters.