Dabur's net profit up by 16.4 percent in Q3

Dabur India Ltd. (DIL) Friday said its consolidated net profit for the quarter ending December 31 rose by 16.4 percent to Rs.282.8 crore, up from Rs.242.9 crore for the same timeframe a year earlier.

The EBITDA of the company grew by 17.8 percent.

Revenue from consolidated net sales was registered at Rs.2,073.6 crore for the third quarter (Q3) of the current fiscal, up by 9.2 percent from the previous Q3's figure at Rs.1,899.6 crore. The standalone net sales jumped to Rs.1,498.3 crore for the December quarter - up by 12 percent from Q3 of the previous fiscal.

"Despite a sharp fall in growth rates in most consumer products segments, Dabur continued to focus on brand-building and market expansion programmes and reported strong growth in its core categories, which have been significantly ahead of the market. Going forward too, our focus will be on pursuing an aggressive and profitable growth strategy," the company's CEO Sunil Duggal said.

Among its product categories, the toothpaste business surged by 19 percent while the home-care segment grew more than 16 percent. The health supplements business grew by 13.5 percent while the foods category reported a 12 percent growth. Hair care division ended the third quarter with 12.1 percent growth.

"The quarter also saw Dabur's beauty retail subsidiary mark a turnaround and report profits for the first time in a quarter," the company said in a statement.

The growth in its international business was led by Egypt at 29 percent, Levant (comprising Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon & Syria markets) at 17 percent and Gulf Cooperation Countries at 14 percent.