Improved margins and cost controls lifted profits at DP World, the UAE-based global ports operator, in the first half of this year despite challenging economic conditions in world markets.
Financial results for the first half, announced yesterday, showed a 9.1 per cent rise in net profits, against the background of a 5.8 per cent decline in volumes of goods at its 65 marine terminals from Sydney, Australia to Santos, Brazil.
The chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, said the figures represented "another strong set of results in spite of challenging market conditions". He added that conditions had improved in the second quarter and said he was optimistic that trend would continue for the rest of the year.
Mr bin Sulayem said the company had no special contingency plans in place to deal with any economic repercussions of escalating regional conflict as a result of the Syria crisis. "It would not affect us. It [regional conflict] has happened in the past and we are well diversified everywhere in the world."
He said "robust" markets in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Australia had offset some weakness in Europe and in Asia. "India and China saw some slowdown in GDP growth," he added.
Revenues slipped by 1.3 per cent to US$1.51 billion, but operating profit rose 6.3 per cent to $278 million. The company's owners - its shares are ultimately held 80 per cent by the government-owned conglomerate Dubai World - benefited from a one-off financial injection of $158m from the restructuring of assets in Hong Kong.
In the period, DP World sold some smaller port businesses and "monetised" others via joint venture deals with trade partners.
The company also released "like-for-like" figures for the six months, showing results on the basis of ongoing businesses. These showed a 21.9 per cent surge in profits to $295m.
The chief executive Mohammed Sharaf said the result was "pleasing given some of the headwind we have faced".
DP World said it was committed to capital investment of $3.7bn until 2015, generated by cash flow and external financing.
"Our substantial investment programme remains unchanged and on schedule as we expect to add 10 million 20-foot equivalent units [TEUs or standard container units] of capacity over the next two years.
"Crucially our balance sheet remains strong, which gives us the ability to invest in the future growth of our current portfolio, and the flexibility to make new investments should the right opportunities arise as well as delivering enhanced returns to shareholders over the medium term," Mr Sharaf said.
About $544m was invested across the portfolio in the first half, with 1 million of extra TEU capacity at the flagship port in Jebel Ali. Operations at Embraport in Brazil and at the London Gateway site remain on track to open later this year.
Mr Sharaf said the Asia Pacific and India regions reported softer revenue due to a combination of challenging market conditions, a strategic focus on higher-margin containers and unfavourable currency movement. He said the recent decline in the value of the Indian rupee was not necessarily unfavourable for DP World as its tariffs in India were set in US dollars while much of its expenditure was in local currency.
"The operating environment remains challenging but the strong momentum of the second quarter gives us confidence for the rest of the year. Historically our second half has been stronger than the first and we expect volumes to show improvement in the second half of the year," he said.
The shares ended the day unchanged at $15.50 on the Nasdaq Dubai market. On the London Stock Exchange, where they are also traded, they edged up 1.27 per cent to £10 (Dh56.9).
The results beat many analysts' expectations. Georgy Ivanin, the Middle East equity analyst at Deutsche Bank, said it was a strong set of results despite the weaker volumes, and highlighted DP World's "strong cash generation and balance sheet".
Roger Elliott, an analyst at Citygroup in London, restated the company's standing as a "buy" stock and set a target price of $18.59.
fkane@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
