Dabur India has posted a consolidated net profit of ₹235.29 crore in the quarter ended March 31, up 17.3 per cent, on the back of volume-led growth across key categories.
The company had posted a net profit of ₹200.55 crore in the corresponding quarter in the previous fiscal.
Despite a challenging business environment and macro head winds, consolidated net sales grew by 15.5 per cent to ₹1,769.02 crore from ₹1,531.09 crore in the corresponding quarter previous fiscal. The board recommended a final dividend of 100 per cent which brings the total dividend this year to 175 per cent.
“Continuing with our payout policy, the board has proposed a final dividend of ₹1 per share, aggregating to ₹204.02 crore, including dividend tax,” said Chairman Anand C Burman.
The company ended fiscal 2014 at ₹7,073.21 crore, with a 15.1 per cent growth in net sales, up from ₹6,146.38 crore a year earlier. Net profit for the 2013-14 fiscal grew 19.7 per cent to ₹913.92 crore, up from ₹763.42 crore.
In a statement, Chief Executive Officer Sunil Duggal said: “Our strong performance reflects the robustness of our business model and our ability to efficiently manage the emerging challenges. Dabur has been reporting strong and consistent performance despite intensifying competitive pressures and the challenging market environment witnessed for some quarters now.”
Category-wise growth While the digestives category posted a 23.3 per cent rise in the fourth quarter of 2013-14, strong demand for packaged juices helped the food business grow 20.6 per cent.
Toothpaste and shampoo businesses grew 20.7 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively. The company said its health supplement business saw 17.6 per cent growth, while the home-care category was up 13 per cent.
On Tuesday, the company’s shares closed at ₹177.70 on the BSE, down 1.36 per cent.