JKH annual net profit up 59pc

COLOMBO, May 21 (LBO): Sri Lanka's John Keells Holdings said net profit in the year to March 31, 2011 shot up 59 per cent to 8.2 billion rupees from a year ago despite a fall in earnings in the final quarter. Annual sales of the conglomerate went up 26 per cent to 60.5 billion rupees, it said in a stock exchange filing. Diluted earnings per share increased 54 per cent to 13.01 rupees. The company said return on capital employed was 14.7 per cent compared to 10.8 per cent in the previous year. Return on equity was 15.1 per cent compared to 10.9 per cent in the previous year. In the March 2011 quarter net profit fell 10 per cent to 2.6 billion rupees although sales went up 29 per cent to almost 18 billion rupees.