After bouncing back into the black last year, JSE-listed Jasco Electronics has continued its strong performance in the first half of the current financial year on the back of a strong order book and prudent cost management.

Headline earnings and headline earnings a share for the six months to December 31, increased 828% to R12.9-million and 783% to 5.74c apiece respectively, while earnings a share increased 810% to 5.73c apiece.

Profit for the half-year period increased some 632.1% to R14.3-million, while turnover registered a 11.3% rise to R555.7-million.

Jasco generated revenue of R558.1-million for the six months under review, an increase of 11.1% compared with the R502.3-million generated in the comparative period last year.

Both the carrier and intelligent technologies businesses grew revenue strongly, recording increases of 26% and 38.5% to R226.7-million and R102.3-million respectively.

The electrical manufacturers division’s revenue remained flat at R82-million, while the enterprise unit recorded an 11.3% contraction in revenue to R151.4-million.

The carrier division achieved an operating profit of R31.5-million – a 66.6% surge on the R18.9-million posted in the corresponding period the year before.

The intelligent technologies unit recorded operating profit of R9.5-million, more than double the R3.3-million reported during the six months to December 2014, with the operating margin having improved from 4.5% to 9.3%.

The operating profit of the electrical manufacturers division increased from R5.6-million in the prior corresponding period to R6.3-million during the first half of the current financial year.

The enterprise unit, while still facing several challenges, turned around its fortunes to achieve an operating profit R1.7-million in the six months under review, compared with an operating loss of R1.6-million in the six months to December 2014. The operating margin improved from a negative 0.9% to a positive 1.1% as significant savings in the cost base offset the impact of the lower sales volumes.

Following the anticipated conclusion of the M-Tec disposal, which was expected within the next few months, Jasco's primary focus would be on “delivering sustained profits, enabled by the more efficient group structure established over the last few years”.