One break-up basis, margins squeezed at J D Healthcare

Turnover for the precision engineering group rose 8.9% to £87.0m, with gross profit rising in step to £10.6m. However, a 34% jump in administrative expenses to £3.4m offset the gain, leaving operating profit effectively flat at £7.3m. Down at the bottom line, net profit dropped 33% to £4.8m as the tax charge normalised to £2.5m from just £19k the year prior.

Consolidated turnover slipped 7.6% to £76.3m, while improved margins accompanied a shift in the top-level operating result from a £44k loss to a £641k gain. Cash reserves grew to £5.0m, supporting the distribution to shareholders. Headcount expanded from 26 to 36 across the period.

The operating subsidiary mirrors its parent's trajectory. An 8.1% drop in turnover to £74.7m was more than offset by gross profit rising 72% to £2.16m. That margin expansion saw operating profit rise to £672k from £101k, even as staff costs rose 24% to £1.0m. Headcount held steady at 20.

The fertility clinic operator saw top-line growth outpaced by its cost base. Turnover climbed 16% to £56.4m, but a 26% increase in administrative expenses to £28.8m weighed on the result. Operating profit subsequently dropped 44% to £2.3m, while net profit landed at £1.1m. The group notes related-party rent transactions of £720k across both years.

This aerospace division filed without a declared period start, rendering precise year-on-year percentage comparisons misleading, but the unadjusted figures point up. Turnover landed at £47.7m against £42.7m prior. Operating profit climbed to £4.65m from £4.3m, while average headcount grew to 294 from 271.