FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – Ceylon Cold Stores PLC (CCS), a prominent player in the consumer goods sector, reported a remarkable 75 percent increase in profits, totaling 3.76 billion rupees, for the quarter ending March 31, 2026. This substantial growth is attributed to robust performance across its manufacturing operations, as indicated by the company’s interim financial results.
During the three-month period, group revenue climbed 20 percent to reach 50.32 billion rupees, compared to 42.09 billion rupees for the same quarter last year. However, the cost of sales also rose, increasing by 18 percent to 42.45 billion rupees.
The gross profit for the company saw a significant uplift of 27 percent, reaching 7.86 billion rupees, while operating profit experienced a 36 percent increase, amounting to 5.43 billion rupees.
In terms of earnings per share, Ceylon Cold Stores reported 3.95 rupees, up from 2.26 rupees in the equivalent quarter of the previous year.
Various business segments played a crucial role in this quarter’s growth. Revenue from supermarkets increased by 17.7 percent, totaling 38.46 billion rupees, with profit before tax rising 55 percent to 2.43 billion rupees. The manufacturing segment also performed well, with revenue growth of 25 percent to 12.84 billion rupees and profit before tax increasing by 22 percent to 3.35 billion rupees.
The group’s net finance costs rose by 8 percent to 716.5 million rupees for the quarter, while the tax expense saw a significant decline of 20 percent, amounting to 955.4 million rupees.
The company has declared a final dividend of 3.34 rupees per share, scheduled for payment by June 12, 2026. This follows interim dividends totaling 3.69 rupees per share that were distributed during the financial year.
As of the quarter ending March 31, 2026, the company’s shares were last traded at 103.00 rupees, compared to 82.00 rupees for the same period of the previous year. Recently, shares closed at a 4.2 percent increase, standing at 130.25 rupees. (Colombo/May 25/2026)
