KARACHI: As the results season gathered momentum, some of the key companies announced financial figures and payout on Tuesday.

ATTOCK PETROLEUM LIMITED: APL announced financial results for the six months (July-Dec) of 2014-15, posting profit at Rs1.47 billion, translating into earnings per share at Rs17.69.

The earnings were far below the profit of Rs2.67bn and eps at Rs32.18 in the same period of previous year.

Along with the results, the board disbursed interim cash dividend for the period under review at Rs12.50 per share or 125 per cent.

Net sales recorded growth to Rs100.2bn from Rs98.6bn in the same period last year.

Yet the cost of sales increased substantially to Rs98.3bn from Rs94.8bn, reducing gross profit to Rs1.88bn from Rs3.78bn and cutting down the gross margin to 1.9pc from 3.8pc in the same period last year.

NATIONAL REFINERY LIMITED: The board of directors communicated results of the company from Beirut (Lebanon) where directors held the meeting on Tuesday.

The Refinery dipped into the red of Rs48.4m for the six months ended Dec 31, 2014 from profit at Rs29m earned in the same time last year.

Loss per share for the latest half term was recorded at Rs0.61, against eps at Rs0.37 in the same period of 2013.

Net sales declined to Rs91.7bn in the latest six months, from Rs103.9bn YoY.

Finance costs declined to Rs663m in half year ended Dec 31, 2014, from Rs1.43bn in the half year 2013 which managed the refinery to post slight profit-before-tax at Rs35m in the latest period against Rs299m same period last year.

Taxation also reduced to Rs83m from Rs270m, but the bottom line could not be prevented from revealing a loss.

MAPLE LEAF CEMENT FACTORY LIMITED: The Company declared profit-after-tax at Rs1.43bn and eps at Rs2.72 for the six months ended Dec 31, 2014, which fell slightly short of the PAT at Rs1.48bn and eps at Rs2.81 earned in the corresponding period of 2013.

The board announced interim cash dividend at Re1 or 10pc for the quarter ended Dec 31, 2014.

Topline grew to Rs9.67bn in the latest half term from Rs8.84bn in the same period last year.

Gross profit also improved to Rs3.49bn from Rs2.99bn.

The finance costs also stood reduced to Rs640m from Rs853m, a blessing of falling interest rates.

However, distribution costs rose to Rs639m from Rs477m and administrative expenses to Rs180m from Rs140m.

Published in Dawn January 28th, 2015

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