Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Sri Lanka large listed firm earnings up 74-pct in 2010: report

Mar 08, 2011 (LBO) - Profits of the largest firms in Sri Lanka's stock market was up 74 percent in the 9-months to December 2010 to 69.3 billion rupees up from 39.8 billion rupees a year earlier, an equities research report has said.

NDB Stockbrokers sampled 68 companies representing 64 percent of total market capitalization at the Colombo Stock Exchange in the report. Twelve month results were used in 15 firms.

In Sri Lanka some firms have financial years ending March, while others such as banks are December firms.

The report said financial firms, diversified holdings companies and food and tobacco companies brought the biggest share of the profits.

Hotels and travels had reported the strongest turnaround with earnings growth of 927 percent as companies which lost money in 2009, returned to profits.

NDB Stockbrokers had removed identifiable exceptional losses and profits in a bid to arrive at more normal profits.

Among financial firms for example DFCC Bank had made a capital gain of 3.0 billion rupees by selling Commercial Bank shares, Lanka Orix Leasing Company brought in a 1.7 billion gain in its Seylan Bank shares.

Nawaloka Hospitals had gained 904 million rupees selling Galadari Hotel shares. John Keells Holdings had made 1.8 billion rupees out of a sell down of hotels and property units.

Dialog Telecom on the other hand had made one off write downs of 12 billion rupees in the previous year.

Banks, finance and insurance firms in the sample had reported a 28 percent increase in profits without exceptional items, pharmaceuticals 32 percent, food beverages and tobacco 42 percent, chemicals, diversified holdings 65 percent and , manufacturing 82 percent.

Telecoms showed a profit of 197 percent, plantations 213 percent, healthcare 297 percent and hotels 927 percent. The sector was still trading at 35 times earnings estimated for the 2010/11 financial year, NDBS Stockbrokers said.

Using actual profits of 2010 and estimated year to March 2011 earnings NDBS estimated Sri Lanka's market price to earnings multiple at slightly over 20 times, which was higher than India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.

It is not clear whether the market earnings multiple in other countries were of the same basis.

source - www.lbo.lk

No comments: