Board pay outpaces sales, and a $7.46bn goodbye dividend

While turnover fell 10.7% to LKR 303.1bn and operating profit slipped 5.8% to LKR 166.1bn, the period also saw an increase in board pay. Total staff costs shrank 8.9% to LKR 60.0bn, but directors' remuneration moved in the opposite direction, climbing 17.8% to LKR 202.6m.

A swing to profit for the Thai flag carrier, posting a net profit of THB 22.5bn against a prior THB 26.9bn loss. This bottom-line recovery was recorded despite a slight 2.0% softening in turnover to THB 183.4bn.

The US aerospace conglomerate recorded a 42.2% leap in operating profit to $9.3bn on turnover of $88.6bn. The standout figure is the headcount, which more than tripled from 54,000 to 180,000, pointing to a major consolidation in these group accounts.

The department store parent filed a 371-day set against a one-day prior stub, rendering year-on-year percentage comparisons structurally incompatible. For the record, the group booked £11.7bn in turnover and £3.73bn in gross profit for the period, alongside £128m in exceptional items.

Top-line growth did not prevent a margin contraction at the supermarket arm, with operating profit slipping 11.0% to £178m despite a 6.9% rise in turnover to £7.77bn. Total staff costs climbed 9.9% to £1.15bn, even as the average number of partners servicing the business fell 3.9% to 44,900.