Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, a Rs.5,100 crore healthcare company, has suffered minor setback during the fourth quarter ended March 2015 and its standalone net profit declined by 4.9 per cent to Rs.77.33 crore from Rs.81.34 crore in the corresponding period of last year. Its net income, however, went up by 20.6 per cent to Rs.1,204 crore from Rs.998 crore.

The board of directors has approved the equity dividend of Rs.5.75 per share (115 per cent of the face value of the share of Rs.5 each) for the year 2014-15. The board also approved the rights issue proposal to issue and allot equity shares of the company for an amount not exceeding Rs.750 crore.

For the full year ended March 2015, Apollo Hospitals consolidated income increased by 18.1 per cent to Rs.5,178 crore from Rs.4,384 crore in the previous year. Its consolidated net profit improved by 7.3 per cent to Rs.340 crore from Rs.317 crore. EPS worked out to Rs.24.43 as against Rs.22.77 in the last period.

The company divested its out-patient diabetes clinics related business to its subsidiary, Apollo Sugar Clinics Ltd for Rs.18.41 crore and shown it as other income during 2014-15. Further, the company sold its investment of Rs.15.20 crore in one of its joint ventures for Rs.14.69 crore and shown a loss as exceptional item.

Its employees cost went up by 18.3 per cent to Rs.860 crore from Rs.727 crore in the previous year. Its selling and distribution expenditure increased by 34.8 per cent to Rs.155 crore from Rs.115 crore. With rising costs, its EBIDTA improved by 9.4 per cent to Rs.735 crore from Rs.672 crore. The company reduced its borrowing cost to Rs.118 crore from Rs.119 crore.