Sharechat Logo

Scales signals earnings growth from reshaped business

Monday 20th May 2019

Text too small?

Scales Corp says full-year operating earnings from its reshaped business may rise as much as 13 percent.

The agri-business, which last year sold its cold stores and liquid storage operation to expand its petfood interests, expects underlying net profit of $32-37 million for the year ending December 31. It reported $35.8 million for the 2018 year.

Scales says the estimate is before the deduction of non-controlling interests in subsidiaries. In 2018, Scales owned 73 percent of Hawke’s Bay apple marketer Fern Ridge Fresh.

This year it will cover Fern Ridge and US petfood maker Shelby Foods. Scales paid US$23.2 million for 60 percent of Shelby in December.

Scales’ Mr Apple business is the country’s biggest grower and marketer of apples. Its Meateor Foods business provides ingredients for petfood, while Profruit markets apple and kiwifruit juice concentrates.

Allowing for businesses exited the past year, Christchurch-based Scales says the guidance implies underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $49-$55 million from operations, compared to $48.5 million in 2018 on a like-for-like basis. It reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $67.1 million last year.

Scales noted the result will also include 4 percent interest income on the $151.4 million sale of its Polarcold business between the sale last May and settlement last week.

Its shares last traded at $5.12 and have gained about 14 percent this year.

The company says it will pay a final 9.5 cent-a-share dividend on July 5 to shareholders registered on June 26. That matches the first-half dividend and is up from the 9-cent final dividend paid last year.

(BusinessDesk)



  General Finance Advertising    

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:
Your name:
Your email:
Not displayed to the public
Comment:
Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved.

Related News:

SML - Synlait Milk Limited - Trading Halt of Securities
AIA - Auckland Airport announces board chair changes
AIA - Auckland Airport announces board chair changes
CEN - Tauhara commissioning progress update
FPH initiates voluntary limited recall
March 28th Morning Report
KFL Celebrates 20 Years of Excellence in Investment Mgmt.
SVR - Savor FY24 Earnings Guidance & Change in Banking Partner
NZK - NZ King Salmon Investments Limited FY24 Results
March 27th Morning Report