Feast from slimmer Whitbread

Leisure group Whitbread has beaten expectations with its latest results and the final dividend gets an extra boost. More cash is to be returned to shareholders.

Morningstar.co.uk Editors 24 April, 2007 | 8:36AM
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Whitbread reports pretax profits for the 52 weeks to 1 March up 6.5% from £264.4m to £281.5m but the underlying picture is much better. Profits from continuing businesses, excluding exceptionals, shot up 24.5% from £171.1m to £213m, just ahead of the top of the range of analysts’ forecasts.

Total revenue from continuing businesses, after the sale of some pub restaurants, the Pizza Hut joint venture and TGI Friday, rose 10.3% to £1.3bn with like-for-like sales up 4.3%.

The final dividend of 22.15p is up 11%, an even bigger increase than at the interim stage, and the full-year total is up 10.8% from 27.3p to 30.25p.

Chief executive Alan Parker says all businesses put in an improved performance, with Premier Travel Inn and the Costa coffee outlets showing strong growth.

Early results for the revamped restaurants business are ‘very encouraging’ and putting Premier Travel Inns and restaurants on joint sites is delivering excellent returns, Parker says.

Plans for international expansion are ‘progressing well’.

There is no news yet on a possible sale of the David Lloyd leisure centres but the business is continuing to improve, which will boost any sale price. Unsolicited approaches for David Lloyd were received in March and are still being considered.

Parker says the current year has started well, with momentum from the final quarter spilling over.

Whitbread intends to issue bonds secured on the hotel and restaurant assets during the current financial year. Unless Parker spots an opportunity to acquire other businesses, the cash will be used to reduce the pension deficit with the balance being returned to shareholders.

These are encouraging results from Whitbread, with the best performing bits, Premier Travel and Costa, racing ahead and the problem areas of restaurants and David Lloyd showing excellent signs of turning round.

The sale of several operations has left the group with a better focus.

The shares added 18p in early trading to 1920p, only just short of the closing high of 1937p set last month.

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