19/09/2023 (Sri Damansara) - In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, Land & General Berhad (L&G) registered substantial gains in both revenue and profit after tax, showcasing a strong operational year characterized by effective strategic developments and robust sales from its property and education divisions.
The group’s revenue rose significantly by 29.2%, amounting to RM 249.2 million, a notable improvement against the RM 192.9 million reported in the prior year. A large part of this uplift was driven by superior performances in L&G's Property and Education divisions, bolstered by construction progress and successful sales in projects such as Damansara Seresta, Sena Parc, and Astoria phases. The education sector too witnessed a fruitful year with increased student enrolment and fee increments at the International School.
A detailed examination of the financials shows an operating profit of RM 47.5 million, marking a 17.0% hike, primarily fueled by the property division despite a fair value loss on an investment in VII amounting to RM 6.3 million. This, coupled with a drop in other incomes mainly due to non-recurring incomes in FY2022, delineated a controlled financial approach in FY2023. Furthermore, L&G demonstrated a stringent control over its finance costs, which reduced significantly.
Encouragingly, the profit before tax saw a 30.9% increase, standing at RM 39.7 million, steering the company to a lucrative year-end with a profit after taxation of RM 26.5 million, indicating a substantial elevation of 37.7% compared to FY2022. Following these positive results, the board has announced a commendable final dividend of 0.6 sen per share, with entitlement and payment dates fixed on 5th and 18th October 2023, respectively.
On the project front, L&G successfully completed the Damansara Seresta project, which features 452 condominium units situated next to the Bukit Lanjan Forest Reserve, in September 2023, with a current booking status of 87%. Among other ongoing ventures, the sales gallery in SD Club land and Astoria Ampang Phase 2 hold great promise, with booking statuses standing at 33% and an optimistic outlook for future sales.
Looking ahead, the group has ambitious plans set for the fourth quarter of 2023 with the launch of 700 units of Livista @ Bandar Sri Damansara service apartments and 1,546 units of Wyn Residences in Puchong, targeting a combined Gross Development Value (GDV) of approximately RM 1.09 billion.