Healthcare services provider UDG Healthcare has announced a 9 per cent rise in adjusted operating profits to €102.6 million for the year ending September 30th.
The group said revenues rose 5 per cent over the year to €2.12 billion. Earnings per share rose 8 per cent to €28.77.
Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the Dublin-based provider of services to healthcare manufacturers and pharmacies, has operations in 22 countries.
The group said its healthcare communications business Ashfield, which became the largest profit contributing division for the first time earlier this year, recorded operating profits that were up 32 per cent higher, with the acquisition of KnowledgePoint 360a strong contributor to growth. UDG’s second biggest division, Sharp Packaging saw operating profit growth of 22 per cent.
UDG acquired healthcare communications business KnowledgePoint360 for €105 million in March and specialist healthcare and scientific public relations businesses, Galliard and Nyxeon for €6.5 million a month earlier.
The company said net debt fell to 1.89 times ebitda (earnings before tax, interest, depreciation and amortisation) from 2.13 times a year earlier.
UDG has proposed a 7 per cent rise in final dividend to 7.43 cent per share, giving a total dividend for the year of 10.12 cent per share, a 6 per cent increase on 2013.
“The group has considerable long-term financing facilities available and good internally generated cash flow to support our growth objectives. We remain very positive about our future growth prospects,” said chief executive Lima FitzGerald.
