TOP NEWS: Meggitt returns to annual profit but dividends still on hold

(Alliance News) - Meggitt PLC on Thursday saw a rebound in 2021 with a swing to profit helped by reduced costs, while dividends were still on hold due to its takeover by Parker-Hannifin Corp.

Meggitt shares were down 0.2% to 762.40 pence each in London.

The Coventry, England-based aerospace components maker swung to a pretax profit of GBP31.3 million in 2021 from a GBP334.0 million loss a year before. Profit was helped by a fall in cost of sales to GBP1.02 billion from GBP1.20 billion.

Revenue fell to GBP1.49 billion from GBP1.68 billion in 2020.

"We delivered a robust performance in 2021, during which we adapted to challenging market conditions and finished the year with a good cash performance and increasing momentum, as shown by our encouraging order intake," Chief Executive Tony Wood said.

Meggitt did not pay a final dividend, which was in line with the terms of its GBP6.3 billion takeover by Parker-Hannifin. This left the annual total payout at nothing, with the last dividend being paid in 2019.

Looking ahead, Meggitt said: "Building on the positive momentum in 2021 and good order intake at the end of the year, the outlook for our civil aerospace business is encouraging. However, with a number of countries still experiencing high infection rates and with travel restrictions in place, forecasting the pace and trajectory of this recovery remains difficult, particularly in the short-term. The prospects for our energy and defence end markets are expected to remain solid."

By Greg Roxburgh; gregroxburgh@alliancenews.com

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