ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX), the company which operates Australia’s largest stock exchange, has reported its half-year results to 31 December 2018.
Key Results
ASX Ltd handed down strong results, including:
- Revenue up 3.8% to $424.7 million
- EBITDA up 2.1% to $319.5 million
- Net profit after tax (NPAT) up 6.8% to $246.1 million
- EPS up 6.7% to 127.1 cents
- Interim dividend up 6.7% to 114.4cps fully franked
Mr Dominic Stevens, ASX’s Managing Director and CEO, said, “ASX has achieved a strong result for the first half of the 2019 financial year… [with net profit] up 10.2% on a like-for-like accounting basis, compared to the same period last year. Each of our four businesses grew solidly, as did interest earnings, amid a period of heightened volatility, emphasising the benefit of ASX’s diverse business model.”
Like-for-like NPAT up 10.2%
Due to early adoption of AASB 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, some revenue in ASX’s Listing and Issuer Services division is now deferred.
Previously, ASX would recognise all the revenue on the date of admission or quotation of shares, but now the listing fees are deferred and recognised over the period in which it is estimated the listing service will be provided. If the previous period was restated under the new standard, revenue would have been up 6.5% instead of 3.8%, along with NPAT up 10.2% instead of 6.8%.
The Bottom Line
While ASX’s results may have been boosted if not for the adoption of a new accounting standard, they have still handed down an impressive set of results highlighting their strength with a sixth consecutive first-half year increase in NPAT and dividends.
It is easy to see why despite market volatility ASX is a good company to own. While I would like to add ASX to my share portfolio, that is all dependent on being able to buy it at the right price which is not at these levels.
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