Ebos reports healthy year

Medical and dental products company Ebos has lifted June year net profit by 7.3 per cent to $9 million.

Chairman Rick Christie said pre-tax profit rose 20 per cent to $14.8 million. Sales rose 23 per cent to just over $280 million, reflecting the consolidation of Ebos' scientific portfolio, generic growth and recent acquisitions.

Christie said the the year had been one of incremental acquisitions.

Ebos' equity in Global Science rose to 67 per cent (from 47.5 per cent) and it bought three Australian businesses - Quantum Scientific, Vernon Carus and Stelmara Medical.

The company declared a final dividend of 12.5c a share, up from 11c, bringing the total payment to 21.5cps compared with 20c last year, and 16.4c in 2003.

Shareholders' interest went up to $50.4 million from $46.9 million and total assets rose from $92.4 million to $119.1 million.

- NZPA