The Straits Trading Co chalks up higher H2 profit lifted by fair value gains

CONGLOMERATE The Straits Trading Company reported a net profit of about S$46 million for the six months ended Dec 31, 2020, up nearly 10 per cent year-on-year on the back of fair value gains from its real estate segment.

Revenue was 18.1 per cent higher at S$173.88 million with increased revenue contributions from both its tin mining and smelting as well as its property segments.

Earnings per share worked out to 11.3 Singapore cents per share, versus 10.3 cents previously.

The group's real estate segment reported a higher profit after tax and non-controlling interests for H2 2020 as a result of fair value gains from its properties in Australia as well as contributions from a new joint venture in China.

However, its hospitality segment reported a loss for 2020 as its hospitality associate was hit by the pandemic, including revaluation losses on certain hotel properties and impairment charges.

For the full year ended Dec 31, 2020, net profit shrank 39 per cent year-on-year to S$51.48 million as its performance was impacted by the pandemic, while revenue was around 15 per cent lower at S$308.89 million.

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Chew Gek Khim, executive chairman of Straits Trading, said: "The marked improvement in our results in H2 2020 reflects an improving business climate. We will press ahead with our next phase of transformation to sustain our growth and create greater shareholder value.

"We will continue to grow our existing business engines while converting assets into investible securities to broaden our investor base."

In an update on Straits Real Estate (SRE), the group said that SRE had inked an agreement to acquire a land parcel in Anseong City in the metropolitan Seoul area, which can potentially be developed into a multi-storey logistics facility with total lettable area of about 110,000 square metres. The agreement is expected to close in the current quarter.

Its resources arm, Malaysia Smelting Corporation, plans to fully commission its new Pulau Indah smelting facility in Port Klang by late 2021 or early 2022. The group highlighted that the outlook for tin remains robust over the longer term, fuelled by the world's growing electrification as well as the growth of electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, its associate ARA Asset Management had gross assets under management (AUM) of about S$119 billion as at Dec 31, 2020 - up from S$88 billion a year ago.

The group has proposed a dividend of six Singapore cents per share for FY20, unchanged from a year ago.

The counter closed at S$2.80 on Thursday, up four Singapore cents or 1.45 per cent.