New Delhi: Aventis Pharma today said its net profit rose by 40.16 per cent to Rs 50.6 crore in the first quarter ended March 31, 2011, vis-a-vis the same period of the previous year. The company had reported a net profit of Rs 36.1 crore for the same period last year, Aventis Pharma said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The company's net sales rose to Rs 276.3 crore for the first quarter, compared to Rs 251.4 crore in the same period of the previous year. The company's board in its meeting held on February 16, 2011, had recommended a final dividend of Rs 23 per share of Rs 10 face value for the year ended December 31, 2010. The board had also recommended a special one-time dividend of Rs 28 per equity share of Rs 10. Shares of Aventis Pharma were trading at Rs 2,023 apiece on the BSE in the late afternoon today, up 5.73 per cent from their previous close.