Colgate Palmolive net at Rs 50.59 cr

CORPORATE SCORECARD

Colgate Palmolive (India) today announced a net profit of Rs 50.59 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, an increase of 36.69 per cent compared with Rs 37.01 crore for the corresponding quarter in 2006. The company's net sales for the period stood at Rs 343.25 crore, 13.63 per cent higher compared with Rs 302.06 crore for the corresponding quarter in 2006.

For the financial year ended March 31, 2007, the company's net profit stood at Rs 160.17 crore, 16.40 per cent higher compared with Rs 137.6 crore in the previous financial year. This was after absorbing a charge of Rs 58 crore pre-tax (Rs 38.5 crores net of tax) for a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) implemented in September 2006 at its Sewree manufacturing facility. Excluding the VRS charge and certain credits, the net profit after tax from operations for the year is Rs 185.3 crore, a 26 per cent increase over the previous year. The net sales for the year stood at Rs 1,295.14 crore, 15.20 per cent higher compared with Rs 1,124.19 crore in 2005-06.

To mark the 70th year of operations in India, the board has recommended a special dividend of 20 per cent (Rs 2 per share), taking the total dividend for the year to 95 per cent (Rs 9.50 per share).