Unichem Laboratories Ltd has recommended a dividend of Rs 3.50 (70%) per equity share of Rs 5/- each for the year ended March 31, 2005.

The company achieved satisfactory performance and its net profit before exceptional items moved up by 16 per cent to Rs 45.10 crore from Rs 38.90 crore. Its sales increased by 9.7 per cent to Rs 424.55 crore from Rs 387.20 crore in the previous year. The company’s exports shown a smart growth of 37.2 per cent to Rs 69.03 crore from Rs 50.31 crore.

The net profit, after exceptional items nil in the year 2004-’05 as against Rs 5.79 crore in the last year, increased only by 1.8 per cent to Rs 45.09 crore from Rs 44.28 crore. This translates to an annualized EPS of Rs 13.22 as compared to Rs 12.98 in the last period.

The company’s consolidated global total income stood at Rs 618.13 crore during the year ended March 2005 as compared to Rs 476.23 crore in the previous year. Its consolidated net profit worked out to Rs 82.36 crore as against Rs 41.89 crore. The UK-based subsidiary Niche Generics Ltd recorded sales of Rs 188.31 crore as compared to Rs 87.94 crore. Unichem S.A. Proprietary Ltd, its South African subsidiary recorded a loss of Rs 0.03 crore in 2004-05 and Unichem Farmaceutica Do Brasil Ltda, its Brazilian subsidiary incurred a loss of Rs 0.18 crore in its first year of operation.