Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Ltd posted a good 58 per cent growth in net profit for the quarter ended December 31. It was Rs 74.5 crore in the quarter, the second one for the company this year (it follows a July-June accounting calendar), against Rs 47.1 crore in the corresponding period a year before.
Net sales were up 49 per cent in the quarter, touching Rs 274.6 crore against Rs 225.6 crore in the corresponding period a year before.
P&G attributed this growth in both net sales and profitability to its key businesses of healthcare and feminine hygiene. Healthcare went up by 11 per cent to register sales of Rs 138 crore in the second quarter, as against Rs 124 crore in the corresponding period a year before. Growth was primarily driven by Vicks Vaporub, which grew 26 per cent in the third quarter, said managing director Shantanu Khosla. .
Feminine hygiene, meanwhile, grew 35 per cent in the second quarter, achieving sales of Rs 136 crore against Rs 101 crore in the corresponding period a year before. The company’s key brand in the space is Whisper, which has a number of variants such as Choice, Ultra and Wings.
The company’s stock closed up 0.4 per cent on January 29, touching Rs 1,594.45 as against Rs 1,587.75 the previous day.
