SIA could surprise with stronger-than-expected results

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) could surprise on the upside this week when it unveils its fourth quarter and full-year results on Thursday, buoyed by the rebound in the cargo sector and by its budget unit Scoot.

According to Bloomberg data, the consensus is for the airline to report S$666 million in net profit for the full year ended March 31, and a loss of S$11 million for 4QFY18.

But some analysts have higher expectations. In a report on research network Smartkarma, analyst Alan Greene estimated a full-year net profit of S$700-S$780 million, with passenger loads improving 2.4 percentage points to 81.4 per cent in FY18.

Meanwhile, UOB Kay Hian analyst K Ajith expects SIA to beat street expectations with a full-year profit of S$765 million, while net profit could clock S$54 million for 4QFY18. Higher cargo profits, marginal profitability from the parent airline as well as stronger profit contributions from Scoot are seen as bolstering the bottom line. As such, a final dividend of 17 Singapore cents per s…