A $7.4bn exit dividend, and Waitrose margins slip

Revenue contracted 11% to 303.1bn LKR, while operating profit also declined. Directors' remuneration rose by 18% to 202.6m LKR during the period, alongside a 9% reduction in total staff costs for the broader workforce. The period saw board pay increase while top-line sales did not.

A notable bottom-line recovery for the Thai flag carrier. Turnover held broadly flat at 183.4bn THB, while the group recorded a swing from a 26.9bn THB loss in the prior year to a 22.5bn THB net profit. The balance sheet closed the period holding 78.5bn THB in cash.

The American aerospace and defence conglomerate delivered a steady year. A 10% uplift in turnover to $88.6bn accompanied a 43% rise in operating profit, which landed at $9.3bn. The group recorded a structural expansion along the way, with reported average headcount expanding from 54,000 to 180,000.

Proceed with caution on the headline comparisons here, as the prior period is a one-day stub that renders year-on-year percentages meaningless. In its latest 371-day stretch, the retailer booked £11.7bn in turnover and £3.7bn in gross profit. The bottom line lacks explicit profit figures, though the group integrated £128m in exceptional items.

Top-line growth accompanied a margin contraction at the supermarket chain. Turnover rose 7% to £7.7bn, but operating profit slipped 11% to £178m while administrative expenses expanded. The period also saw a 10% rise in total staff costs to £1.1bn, an increase that occurred while average headcount fell by roughly 1,800.