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By Bloomberg

Royal Philips NV, the Dutch company which is splitting off its lighting business to focus on consumer health- care offerings, reported better-than-estimated sales, helped by demand for products such as electric toothbrushes and kitchen appliances.

First-quarter revenue reached 5.34 billion euros ($5.8 billion), compared with 5.08 billion euros estimated by analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Earnings before interest, taxes and amortization dropped 9 percent to 230 million euros amid higher investments.

“We are encouraged by the resumption of sales growth in the first quarter of 2015, which was driven by continued strong performance in consumer lifestyle,” Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten said in an e-mailed statement. “We saw positive order-intake growth, despite the challenging health- care market environment.” The company predicts “modest” comparable sales growth for 2015, he said.

The CEO is facing a crucial year as he needs to convince investors that betting the future of the 124-year-old company on the $125 billion consumer health-care market is the right thing to do. Van Houten predicts booming demand for data offerings that help hospitals monitor and analyze patients’ health, reduce unnecessary visits and increase the efficiency of operations and medical procedures.

Shareholders will vote on the separation of the lighting unit on May 7, and the company plans to carry out an initial public offering of that business next year.

The deal marks a turning point for Philips, which has sold lighting products since its founding in 1891. The separation of the unit, the world’s biggest maker of lamps and bulbs, mirrors Munich-based Siemens AG’s move in mid-2013 to spin off Osram Licht AG as an industrywide shift toward more-efficient light- emitting diodes intensified competition.

Shares of Philips have risen 14 percent since the start of the year through to yesterday’s close in Amsterdam at 27.65 euros, valuing the company at 25.9 billion euros.