Agthia Group, a leading regional food and beverages company, recorded a net profit of AED67.9 million ($18.49 million) and total revenues of AED1.32 billion ($359.36 million) for the first half (H1) of this year, representing 61% and 21% year-on-year growth, respectively, compared to the same period in 2020.

 

The group remains well positioned to harness regional growth opportunities with the recent consolidations of Al Foah, Al Faysal Bakery & Sweets and Nabil Foods under the Consumer Business Division (CBD), it said.

 

With the addition of the three acquisitions, net revenue contribution by CBD increased by 20% y-o-y to 65% with the agri-business division contributing the remaining 35% of the Group’s revenue.

 

Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Agthia Group, said: “Agthia has delivered a solid financial performance in the first half of 2021, reflecting our strong resolve in the face of global economic disruption. As we enter the second half of the year, we look forward to delivering on our growth strategy to become an F&B leader in the MENAP region, while focusing on retaining our market leadership, financial resilience and delivering sustainable stakeholder value.”

 

Alan Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Agthia Group, said: “Agthia’s H1 performance has been driven by acquisition synergies, acceleration of transformation and additional cost optimization. We anticipate the momentum of this performance to continue over the coming months. The ability of our team to respond effectively to changing consumer behaviour and market dynamics, whilst focusing on effectively integrating our new businesses has been the cornerstone of this growth trajectory.”

 

The group’s consumer business division recorded AED855 million in revenues. 

 

The second quarter (Q2) 2021 also saw the water and beverage category return to growth vs the same period last year, driving H1 2021 revenue to AED390 Million, in spite of ongoing category pressure and discontinuation of the Capri Sun business last year. The group’s bottled water portfolio – Al Ain Water, Al Bayan, Voss and Alpin - sustained their market leadership in the UAE in both volume and value share at 27% and 25%, respectively, said a statement.

 

The net revenue of the food segment, which includes tomato paste and frozen vegetables, bakery, dairy and trading items, increased by 12% on the inclusion of Al Faysal Bakery & Sweets post consolidation towards the end of January 2021. Furthermore, Al Foah and Nabil Food together contributed AED272.7 million to the top-line in the first half, despite the impact of seasonality and headwinds created by an oversupply of dates in KSA and the inclusion of Nabil Foods for only 3 months post consolidation in April 2021. 

 

Within Agthia’s agri-business, revenues reached AED463.5 million, lagging sales for the same period in 2020 which included a one-time World Food Program order.

 

The group’s total assets as of 30th June 2021 stood at AED4.6 billion, up 46% versus year-end 2020 post consolidating the assets of Al Foah, Al Faysal Bakery and Nabil Foods during the period. Group shareholders’ equity stood at AED2.7 billion for the same period, post issuing additional 191.6 million shares to complete Al Foah and Nabil Foods acquisitions.

 

In line with the semi-annual dividend distribution policy announced at the beginning of the year, Agthia Board of Directors has recommended a 8.25 fils dividends per share for the first half of 2021, subject to shareholders and regulatory approvals.

 

Agthia Group was also included in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Small Cap Index effective as of close of May 27, 2021, after fulfilling all the listing conditions, which comprises market capital, liquidity rates, and foreign inclusion factors, among others. - TradeArabia News Service