It was also well above the average analyst forecast of 1.76 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Net income rose to 18.8 billion in the quarter, from 18.4 billion.
The board of directors proposes a dividend of 6.00 Norwegian kroner per share. That is more than the average forecast of 4.23 kroner.
Oslo-listed Orkla, whose brands include Felix, Abba and Ekströms, has approximately 3,000 employees at locations including Eslöv, Filipstad and Kungshamn.
