Chennai, April 10: Pentamedia Graphics Ltd (formerly Pentafour Software & Exports Ltd) has declared a whopping 120 per cent millennium dividend. Apprehension in some quarters that the company may not do well after hiving off its business software development division has been belied with the company posting a turnover of Rs 392 crore for year ended March 31, 2000, a substantial increase of 38.1 per cent from Rs 281 crore logged in the previous year.Profit after tax has jumped to Rs 170.33 crore, a 43 per cent rise from Rs 119.12 crore. Profit before tax is up to Rs 105.76 crore as against Rs 67.67 crore (only multimedia) for the corresponding period of last year, a jump of 56.3 per cent.
The figures are strictly not comparable as after the business software division hive-off, the fourth quarter and current year figure represent only multimedia while the corresponding figures for the last year represented the company as a whole including software and multimedia.
Operating profit is up by 16.8 per cent. The company has shown a non-recurring revenue of Rs 80.67 crore obtained from sale of business software division to Pentasoft Technologies. Order book on hand is $100 million which will be executed in the next 12-14 months, according to a company release.
The company's board has been reconstituted with Dr V Chandrasekaran as chairman and CEO, VS Sundararajan as director and chief executive officer of US subsidiary and K Srinivasan as director and chief operating officer effective April 10. The board now comprises the above three and S Ranganathan, Kenneth P Silverman, TK Sheshadri and Dr Ramani.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.