Led by strong growth in its key categories like hair oil and foods,FMCG firm Dabur today posted a net profit of Rs 173.85 crore in the second quarter ended September 30,2011. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 160.43 crore in the quarter ended September 30,2010,Dabur India said in statement. During the quarter under review,the company had a net sales of Rs 1,262.33 crore,while it had Rs 972.78 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. Besides,the companys board of directors has recommended 55 per cent interim dividend 55 paisa per share having par value of Rs 1) involving aggregate of payment of Rs 111.35 crore. Financial results for the quarter are not comparable with the corresponding period as it includes Hobi Kozmetik group and Namsate Laboratories along with Hair Rejuvenation & Revitalisation Nigeria,which the company had acquired,the company said. Besides,the results also include that of Healing Hair Laboratories International LLC and Urban Laboratories International LLC which have been incorporated abroad and acquired,it said. The firm said strong growth in its key business categories,calibrated price hikes and stringent cost-saving initiatives helped Dabur mitigate the impact of rising inflation in the second quarter of this fiscal. The operating environment was extremely challenging and it impacted our margins during the period. Despite the challenges,effective management of costs helped Dabur expand its EBITA 16.5 per cent, Dabur India Chief Executive Officer Sunil Duggal said in a statement. During the quarter while its hair oil category reported a 26.6 per cent growth led by Dabur Amla,foods business registered a robust 27.5 per cent growth during the quarter. Toothpaste category saw a growth of 7.8 per cent and health supplements also ended the second quarter with a 7.8 per cent growth,it said. Dabur India said its international business had a growth of 22.8 per cent through the organic route,led by robust performance in GCC,Egypt and Nigeria. Shares of Dabur was trading at Rs 101.40 on the BSE,up 1.25 per cent from the previous close.
