JKH pays modest Rs. 0.50 dividend despite Rs. 1.7 bn. first half loss

John Keells Holdings PLC, the diversified conglomerate widely regarded as the strongest entity quoted on the Colombo Stock Exchange, Thursday announced a second interim dividend of 50 cents a share, on top of the first interim of one-rupee paid in November last year despite a group loss of Rs. 1.7 billion in the first half of the current financial year.

Analysts said that JKH’s strong balance sheet with a revenue reserve of nearly Rs. 65 billion had made this payment possible.

JKH Chairman Krishan Balendra said in his chairman’s review of the September quarter that the “group will follow its dividend policy which corresponds with the growth in profits, whilst ensuring that the company maintains adequate funds to ensure business continuity given the unprecedented nature of the current circumstances.”

He explained the dividend despite the negative bottom line to “the faster than anticipated recovery following the resumption of business activity in the country and the strong growth momentum witnessed across our group businesses with the exception of leisure.”

The declaration of this dividend reflects the cash generation capability of the Group’s diverse portfolio of businesses, he said.

The leisure segment of their business took the hardest blow with an EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) of Rs. 2.6 billion in the first half of the current financial year.

Discussing this, he said although the Sri Lankan airport remains closed to-date for foreign arrivals, the resumption of domestic travel continued during the quarter, with all properties in the Sri Lankan Resorts segment recording an encouraging increase in month-on-month occupancy.

Despite the challenging operating environment, the City Hotels sector also exhibited a better than anticipated performance, primarily driven by the food and beverage and banqueting segments. However, the recent cluster outbreak of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka will impede this recovery should the current situation prevail, he warned.

Balendra summary of key operational and financial highlights of the September quarter was:

• The underlying performance of the Transportation, Consumer Foods, Retail and Financial Services industry groups continued its growth momentum witnessed in the latter part of the previous quarter, demonstrating a faster than anticipated recovery following the resumption of business activity in the country post the easing of lockdowns in May 2020.

• Group EBITDA excluding the Leisure industry group was Rs.4.50 billion during the second quarter of the year under review, which is a 15 per cent increase against the previous year [2019/20 Q2: Rs.3.91 billion].

• Given the strong recovery momentum in business activity and the generation of cash profits by the Group, a second interim dividend of Rs.0.50 per share, amounting to a payout of Rs.659 million, was declared to be paid on or before 7 December 2020. The declaration of this dividend reflects the cash generation capability of the Group’s diverse portfolio of businesses.

• The Leisure industry group continued to be impacted by the closure of the airport in Sri Lanka, although this has been mitigated, to an extent, by a resumption in domestic tourism, recovery in the banqueting, food and beverage segments and the opening of the airport in the Maldives in mid-July.

• The Frozen Confectionery, Beverage and Convenience Foods businesses recorded double-digit growth in EBITDA against the corresponding period of the previous quarter, continuing the trajectory witnessed in June.

• The Supermarket business continued its positive momentum with a strong rebound in sales and EBITDA, driven by the contribution from new outlets towards revenue growth and a pick-up in same store footfall post the easing of lockdown measures witnessed in the first quarter.

• Pace of construction at ‘Cinnamon Life’ continued to gain traction during the quarter. Post ascertaining the impact of COVID-19 on the overall timelines of the project to manage deliverables and the re-sequencing of work, it is expected that the hand-over of the residential apartments and office tower will commence on a staggered basis from the fourth quarter of 2020/21 onwards.