Thomas Cook net up 17%

Thomas Cook, one of the largest travel agency in the country, reported marginally lower revenues from operations for the quarter ended October 2005 this year compared with the last year.

However, by keeping staff and "other" costs down, the company has managed to increase net profit by 17.4 per cent. This has resulted in an improved earnings per share of Rs 6 against Rs 5.1 last year. The consolidated profits for the entire group, however, showed an increase of 43 per cent.

According to the audited results for the BSE-listed company, operating revenues fell around half a per cent to Rs 28.10 crore as against Rs 28.26 crore in the year-ago period.

Profits rose from Rs 7.47 crore to Rs 8.77 crore, helped largely by a Rs 1.3 crore jump in other income.

Significant savings have been shown in staff cost, which was down to Rs 7.55 crore from Rs 7.97 crore, and interest payment, which stood at Rs 11.7 lakh as against Rs 18.4 lakh last year.

Income from operations is at Rs 121.79 crore for this year "" down from Rs 124.62 crore for the year ended October 2004. Net profit too fell to Rs 26.86 during the year ended October 2005 from Rs 27.47 crore in the last year.

Group revenues, which includes those of the company's cargo and insurance businesses, showed an up-trend with revenue from operations going up to Rs 30.53 during the quarter from Rs 30.27 crore in the same period last year.

Above average performance by the subsidiary businesses also saw group profits go up nearly 43 per cent to Rs 8.99 crore from Rs 6.41 crore.