EAGLE NICE(02368)2023-11-27 08:50Revenue Performance by Region - Revenue from mainland China increased to 1,474,210 thousand HKD in 2023, up from 1,195,852 thousand HKD in 2022, representing a growth of 23.3%[4] - Revenue from the US decreased to 413,577 thousand HKD in 2023, down from 574,996 thousand HKD in 2022, a decline of 28.1%[4] - Revenue from Europe decreased to 335,336 thousand HKD in 2023, down from 457,970 thousand HKD in 2022, a decline of 26.8%[4] - Revenue from Japan decreased to 48,757 thousand HKD in 2023, down from 64,685 thousand HKD in 2022, a decline of 24.6%[4] - Revenue from other regions decreased slightly to 250,037 thousand HKD in 2023, down from 254,052 thousand HKD in 2022, a decline of 1.6%[4] - The company's sales in Mainland China increased by HKD 278,400,000, accounting for 58.5% of total sales, up 11.6% from the previous year[28] - Sales in the US and European markets decreased by HKD 161,400,000 and HKD 122,600,000, respectively, with their share of total sales dropping by 6.2% and 4.7%[28] Overall Financial Performance - Total revenue for the group decreased to 2,521,917 thousand HKD in 2023, down from 2,547,555 thousand HKD in 2022, a decline of 1.0%[4] - Profit before tax decreased to 326,585 thousand HKD in 2023, down from 331,587 thousand HKD in 2022, a decline of 1.5%[4] - Net profit for the period decreased to 236,211 thousand HKD in 2023, down from 245,857 thousand HKD in 2022, a decline of 3.9%[4] - Basic earnings per share decreased to 0.43 HKD in 2023, down from 0.45 HKD in 2022, based on a net profit attributable to owners of 229,225 thousand HKD and 533,800,000 issued ordinary shares[11] - The company's profit attributable to owners for the six months ended September 30, 2023, was HK9,900,000 (or 4.1%) compared to HK0.30 per share for the six months ended September 30, 2023, with a payout ratio of 69.9%[56] - The company declared an interim dividend of HKD 0.30 per share for the six months ended September 30, 2023, unchanged from the previous year[97] - The company's major shareholders include Time Easy Investment Holdings Limited with a 13.61% stake and Excel Skill with a 6.05% stake[65] Financial Position and Cash Flow - The company's interest expenses increased by HKD 13,700,000 (179.1%) due to higher loan interest rates and increased bank loans for capacity expansion[29] - Bank loan interest and lease liability interest totaled HKD 21,397,000, a significant increase from HKD 7,667,000 in the previous year[31] - The company's depreciation of property, plant, and equipment decreased to HKD 46,560,000 from HKD 50,014,000 in the previous year[31] - Exchange losses decreased significantly to HKD 6,355,000 from HKD 26,925,000 in the previous year[31] - Accounts receivable within 30 days increased to HKD 570,416,000 from HKD 268,080,000 in the previous period[39] - Bank loans supported by corporate guarantees increased to HKD 760,201,000 from HKD 622,823,000 in the previous period[42] - As of September 30, 2023, the company held cash and bank balances of HK515,400,000 as of March 31, 2023[57] - The company's committed but not provided amounts for factory renovations, machinery, and equipment purchases were HK96,780,000 as of March 31, 2023[49] - The company's debt ratio as of September 30, 2023, was 6.5% (March 31, 2023: 6.4%)[81] - The company's bank loan utilization as of September 30, 2023, was HKD 760,200,000 (March 31, 2023: HKD 622,800,000)[80] - Total non-current assets decreased to HKD 1,365,602K as of September 30, 2023, compared to HKD 1,412,551K on March 31, 2023[138] - Total current assets increased to HKD 1,928,178K as of September 30, 2023, from HKD 1,662,196K on March 31, 2023[138] - Net current assets rose to HKD 706,989K as of September 30, 2023, up from HKD 420,263K on March 31, 2023[138] - Total assets minus current liabilities increased to HKD 2,072,591K as of September 30, 2023, compared to HKD 1,832,814K on March 31, 2023[138] - Net cash flow from operating activities was HKD 174,181K for the six months ended September 30, 2023, up from HKD 167,903K in the same period in 2022[143] - Net cash used in investing activities decreased to HKD 60,733K for the six months ended September 30, 2023, from HKD 103,652K in the same period in 2022[143] - Net cash from financing activities was HKD 58,920K for the six months ended September 30, 2023, compared to a net cash used of HKD 26,440K in the same period in 2022[143] - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period increased to HKD 646,820K as of September 30, 2023, from HKD 452,100K as of September 30, 2022[143] - Total equity attributable to owners of the company increased to HKD 1,700,402K as of September 30, 2023, from HKD 1,629,452K on March 31, 2023[139] - Non-current liabilities increased to HKD 315,760K as of September 30, 2023, from HKD 150,568K on March 31, 2023[139] Operational and Strategic Developments - The company has diversified its production bases across Mainland China, Indonesia, and Vietnam to mitigate risks and enhance operational flexibility[77] - The company's new factories in Foshan (Mainland China), Bandung (Indonesia), and Long An (Vietnam) are expected to increase production capacity and reduce policy and business environment risks[74] - The company employed approximately 15,000 staff as of September 30, 2023 (March 31, 2023: approximately 15,000)[85] - The company received government subsidies in Mainland China and Hong Kong to promote the manufacturing industry and maintain employment rates[125] Tax and Other Financial Metrics - The effective tax rate rose to 27.7%, up 1.8% from the previous year, due to a higher proportion of profits from Mainland China, which has a higher tax rate[29] - Other income and gains amounted to HKD 8,800,000 (2022: HKD 13,700,000), including HKD 5,000,000 from government incentives or subsidies (2022: HKD 10,300,000) and HKD 1,600,000 from bank interest income (2022: HKD 1,100,000)[78] - Other comprehensive income for the period was a loss of HKD 86,894 thousand, compared to a loss of HKD 136,560 thousand in the previous year[112] - Total comprehensive income for the period was HKD 149,317 thousand, up from HKD 109,297 thousand in the same period last year[112] - The company did not have any potentially dilutive ordinary shares issued during the periods ended September 30, 2023, and 2022[132] - The company's financial statements were prepared in accordance with historical cost convention, except for financial assets measured at fair value through profit or loss[123] Risk Management and Outlook - The company faces foreign exchange risks primarily from USD and RMB transactions, which are partially offset by matching sales and purchases in the same currency[60] - The company's management remains cautiously optimistic about the business outlook despite an uncertain economic environment and soft consumer demand[57] - The company has no significant seasonal impact on its borrowing needs and believes its current financial resources are sufficient for operational and expansion plans[58] - The company's directors and CEO held no registered interests or short positions in the company or any related corporations as of September 30, 2023[63]