UPDATE 1-Symrise sees stable 2023 profit margin as costs keep rising

(Adds outlook details, dividend, antitrust investigation and premarket share move)

March 8 (Reuters) - German flavour and fragrance maker Symrise on Wednesday forecast 2023 core profit margin slightly below market expectations and in line with last year's number, as it expects energy and raw material costs to keep rising.

The company, whose fragrances go into the perfumes of French luxury giants LVMH and Kering, expects a core profit (EBITDA) margin to be stable at 20% this year, below analysts' average estimate of 20.4% in a company-provided poll.

It confirmed its mid-term target to increase sales by 5% to 7% per year on average and said it also anticipated 2023 sales to come in this range.

The group also reiterated the mid-term EBITDA margin target of between 20% and 23% by the end of 2025.

Symrise managed to pass on the bulk of higher input costs to customers last year, while demand for its products remained robust particularly in the pet food segment.

The German group said it would propose an increased dividend of 1.05 euros for 2022, compared with 1.02 euros a year earlier, as it confirmed the full-year earnings and sales it had pre-released in January.

Separately, Swiss antitrust authorities on Wednesday said Symrise was involved in an investigation into an alleged fragrances cartel together with Givaudan SA, Firmenich International and International Flavors & Fragrances Inc .

A Symrise spokesperson confirmed the group was part of the investigation and would cooperate with authorities.

The company's shares were seen down 1.6% in Lang & Schwarz premarket indications. (Reporting by Jagoda Darlak and Linda Pasquini in Gdansk and Patricia Weiss in Frankfurt; Editing by Milla Nissi)