Dabur Q4 net up 8.5 pc at Rs 147.04 cr

NEW DELHI: Boosted by good growth across segments, homegrown FMCG firm Dabur India todya reported 8.5 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit at Rs 147.04 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2011.

The company had reported a net profit of Rs 135.47 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal.

Net sales during the fourth quarter of the fiscal grew by 30.6 per cent to Rs 1108.22 crore from Rs 848.58 crore, the company said in a statament.

Dabur India said its board has also recommended a final dividend of 65 per cent, taking the total dividend for the year 2010-11 to 115 per cent.

"While the external environment and inflation in raw material prices continued to play truant, a combination of calibrated price increases and cost management initiatives helped Dabur report a 28 per cent growth in EBITDA during the fourth quarter," Dabur India Chief Executive Officer Sunil Duggal said in the statement.

During the quarter, the consumer care business registered a revenue of Rs 873.30 crore, while consumer health business had a revenue of Rs 86.07 crore. The foods portfolio, which includes brands such as Real, Activ and Hommade, reported a revenue of Rs 126.44 crore.

For the year ended March 31, 2011, consolidated net profit stood at Rs 568.90 crore, a 13.23 per cent growth over the Rs 502.42 crore earned in the previous fiscal.

During the period, the firm's net sales jumped 20.26 per cent to Rs 4,077.43 from Rs 3,390.47 posted in the previous fiscal.

Dabur said its global business (including Hobi Kozmetik of Turkey and recently acquired US-based Namaste Laboratories) grew by 46.3 per cent growth, led by robust performance in GCC, Egypt, Nigeria, Levant and North African markets.

"North Africa notched up yet another strong performance, growing by 43 per cent during the year, while the Egypt business grew by 32 per cent and the GCC business reported a 20 per cent surge," Dabur India Group Director PD Narang said.

During the fiscal, material cost was at Rs 1,806.83 crore, up from Rs 1331.26 crore in the year-ago period, and advertising and publicity cost increased to Rs 534.56 crore as compared to Rs 493.48 crore in the previous fiscal, the statement said.

"Dabur is now putting in place several new initiatives to further expand its rural India footprint, and remains on course to strengthen our brand portfolio and improve our competitiveness in the market place," Duggal said.

The company's shares were trading at Rs 99.50 in the late afternoon trade on the BSE, down 2.45 per cent from its previous close.