logo
Bahrain: Esterad posts Q2 net profit of $2.76mln

Bahrain: Esterad posts Q2 net profit of $2.76mln

Zawyaa day ago
Bahrain - Esterad announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2025 ending June 30, 2025.
Net profit attributable to shareholders was BD1,041,757 for the second quarter of 2025 compared to BD885,853 for the same period last year, reflecting an increase of 18 per cent.
Esterad continued to deliver double-digit growth, driven by disciplined execution of its restructuring strategy and performance across its diversified global private equity, public marketand real estate portfolio.
Earnings per share for the quarter was 6.4 fils compared with 5.8 Fils in the second quarter of last year. Total comprehensive income attributable to shareholders amounted to BD1,183,296 in Q2 2025 compared to BD290,269 in the same quarter of last year, representing a significant increase of 308pc. Total income for the second quarter stood at BD2,227,469, marking an 18pc decline compared to BD2,716,940 in the second quarter of 2024. Profit rose despite lower income owing to a 33pc cut in total expenses and a 61pc drop in interest costs following deleveraging.
For the first six months of the year, net profit attributable to shareholders rose to BD1,531,362, a 16pc increase from the BD1,321,646 reported in the same period of 2024. Earnings per share for first half of 2025 was 9.5 fils compared with 8.6 fils in H1 2024. Total comprehensive income attributable to shareholders in the first six months of 2025 amounted to BD1,714,247, compared with BD855,310 for the corresponding period of 2024, representing an increase of 100pc.
Total income for the first six months of 2025 was BD4,087,553 compared to BD4,694,745 in the same period of 2024, down by 13pc. As of 30 June 2025, total equity attributable to shareholders reached BD43,141,313, a 1pc decline from the BD43,377,483 recorded as of December 31, 2024. Total assets decreased by 11pc to BD83,142,818 compared to BD93,100,840 on December 31, 2024, primarily because of portfolio restructuring and investment exits.
In line with its strategic objectives, Esterad continued to deleverage its balance sheet and reduce financing costs, utilising proceeds from profitable investment exits, including primary listed equities in the first half of the year, to prepay debt early, further strengthening its financial position.
Commenting on the results, Nabeel Noorudin, board chairman of Esterad, said: 'Our results for the second quarter reaffirm Esterad's continued ability to deliver resilient performance and value creation, despite global macroeconomic challenges. The strong growth in earnings reflects disciplined execution of our long-term strategy, which is focused on optimising our capital structure, enhancing returns from core assets, and exiting legacy investments.
'We have made significant progress on our restructuring roadmap, with successful partial exits of global listed equities. These efforts are enabling us to redeploy capital into higher-yielding and strategically aligned opportunities across key markets. Esterad remains strongly positioned to capitalise and identify unique investment opportunities that offer risk-adjust returns for our shareholders.'
Elaborating further, Mr Noorudin added: 'In parallel, we are actively working on several strategic transactions targeted to close in the second half of the year, which are expected to drive future growth in both business activity and profitability. These include niche new opportunities in defensive sectors and opportunistic yielding real estate projects. In addition, we are also looking forward to resuming construction and beginning sales of one of our recently acquired, partially completed real estate projects in Bahrain in the second half of the year.'
On his part, Ahmed Abdulrahman, chief executive officer of Esterad, stated: 'We are pleased with our performance in the second quarter and the continued execution of our strategy, which has resulted in sustained profit growth and stronger financial position. Our focus remains on activating newly acquired assets and exiting legacy holdings as we successfully realised value from the exit of our global listed equities in the last quarter. We remain fully committed to the turnaround and repositioning of key assets across our diversified global portfolio, unlocking long-term value, and deploying capital efficiently into high-potential opportunities. A key priority in the second half of the year is to resume construction and begin sales on a recently acquired, incomplete real estate project. '
He added: 'A key contributor to our positive momentum has been the progress of Esterad Bank, which continues to advance on its strategic roadmap. The bank entered 2025 with strengthened capital and a healthy pipeline of investment opportunities. During Q2, the bank made further progress on strategic acquisitions as they are in advanced stages of negotiation on three deals, with expected closures in the third quarter. We remain confident in our ability to deliver superior returns for our investors by capitalising on these compelling, income-generating investments.'
Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dubai heritage mosques to be preserved under new deal
Dubai heritage mosques to be preserved under new deal

The National

time18 minutes ago

  • The National

Dubai heritage mosques to be preserved under new deal

Religious infrastructure will be upgraded in Dubai as part of a new strategy announced on Wednesday. An agreement was signed between Dubai Municipality and the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, under which heritage mosques were being preserved, and management of funeral and cemetery services will be improved. The agreement seeks to create a unified vision for the design and construction of mosques, while safeguarding cultural, religious and architectural heritage, Dubai Government Media Office said. "It strengthens our joint efforts to provide high-quality services that benefit the entire community while preserving the authentic character of historic mosques and prayer sites," said Ahmad Bin Ghalita, director general of Dubai Municipality. "The partnership also reflects our commitment to enhancing quality of life by developing public facilities that embody Dubai's cultural and religious identity, blending urban progress with heritage conservation.' Dubai Municipality will restore and maintain heritage mosques, ensuring the preservation of their traditional character and authentic architectural features. Eid prayer grounds will be enhanced "to meet the emirate's urban and demographic growth", said the media office.

UAE: Students receive A-level results; schools see record improvements
UAE: Students receive A-level results; schools see record improvements

Khaleej Times

time18 minutes ago

  • Khaleej Times

UAE: Students receive A-level results; schools see record improvements

Schools in the UAE began receiving A-level results on Wednesday evening, with students set to access their results tomorrow. This year, 1,999 students sat 5,379 A-level exams across 22 GEMS schools in the UAE and Qatar. The results show sustained strong performance, with 32 per cent of grades at A*-A and 58 per cent at A*-B. The GEMS-wide results also reflect significant year-on-year grade improvements, with the number of A* grades awarded rising by two percentage points to 11 per cent, A*-A performance improving from 26 per cent in 2024 to 32% this year, as well as A*-B performance rising six percentage points to 58 per cent. Lisa Crausby OBE, Group Chief Education Officer at GEMS Education, said, 'Our students' A-level success is in many ways just the beginning — what truly excites us is where they'll go next. Whether they pursue further academic study in top universities across the globe, technical and vocational pathways, or alternative routes to success, they do so equipped not only with excellent results but also with the values, resilience, and ambition that truly distinguish GEMS learners. 'As we have throughout our history, we prepare students not just for exams, but for life — and the outcomes we celebrate today are proof of what's possible when purpose and passion align, fully supported by our passionate educators in school and our students' dedicated parents and families at home.' Notable achievements across the GEMS network include GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, which saw a 15 percentage point year-on-year growth in students achieving an A*. The school also saw the number of students achieving an A*-A rise by 18 percentage points compared to last year, as well as the number of A*-B grades increase by 15 percentage points year on year. Sarah O'Regan, Principal/CEO, GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, said, 'We are incredibly proud of our results this year. The dedication and effort shown by the largest A-level cohort in our history – and by their teachers – has led to a set of achievements that deserves real celebration. Alongside our equally impressive BTEC outcomes, the Class of 2025 has truly set a new benchmark.' Meanwhile at GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar, the number of students achieving an A* rose by 10 percentage points over 2024 results, while A*-A grades rose by 20 percentage points and A*-B grades by a remarkable 27 percentage points. Akram Tarik, Principal, GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar, said, 'This year's A-level and BTEC results are the highest in our school's history, and I could not be prouder of our students and staff. Such exceptional achievements are never the result of chance; they reflect hundreds of hours of dedication, meticulous preparation, and the unwavering support of our families, staff, and, most importantly, our students.' Additional highlights include GEMS Cambridge International Private School – Sharjah, whose A-level students achieved a nine percentage point growth in A* grades awarded, as well as GEMS Wesgreen International School – Sharjah, where the number of students achieving an A*-A grade rose by 16 percentage points year-on-year. Across the GEMS network a total of 412 students took BTEC Level 3s — double the cohort of last year, demonstrating the increasing popularity of this vocational pathway. Nearly a third (32 per cent) of entries achieved the highest possible grade of Distinction Star, while nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of entries were awarded a Distinction Star or Distinction.

Saudi wealth fund PIF's assets under management up 19% in 2024 to $913bn
Saudi wealth fund PIF's assets under management up 19% in 2024 to $913bn

The National

timean hour ago

  • The National

Saudi wealth fund PIF's assets under management up 19% in 2024 to $913bn

Assets of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund climbed to $913 billion in 2024, marking a 19 per cent annual rise for the sovereign wealth fund that is key to the kingdom's economic transformation agenda. The fund's annual returns since 2017, however, have fallen to 7.2 per cent, down from 8.7 per cent in 2023, the PIF said in its annual report published on Wednesday. Capital deployment across its priority sectors reached $56.8 billion last year, bringing cumulative investment since the beginning of 2021 to more than $171 billion, the fund said. Total revenue increased by 25 per cent and its cash balance "remains strong and broadly unchanged year on year as PIF maintains its robust liquidity", the report said. The PIF now represents 10 per cent of the nation's non-oil economy, with its cumulative real non-oil GDP contribution between 2021 and 2024 growing to $243 billion. The total number of its portfolio companies at the end of last year had reached 225, of which the PIF created and established 103. 'PIF further established its position as one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds," said Yasir A AlSalman, the PIF's chief financial officer. "PIF continues to innovate to deliver on its mandate and drive economic transformation.' The PIF is leading Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to diversify the kingdom's economy from oil. The PIF, along with related organisations, is driving investment into areas including finance, health care, sport, renewables, technology, the automotive industry, property, aerospace, defence, entertainment, leisure, retail and mining. The fund's domestic holdings include Saudi mining and mineral giant Maaden, petrochemicals major Sabic and the kingdom's biggest lender, Saudi National Bank. It has also launched Riyadh Air – Saudi Arabia's new national carrier – which is set to begin flying this year, the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Company and Lifera, a pharmaceutical investment company. The fund also continues to make key international investments. In December, the PIF and Ardian completed a €4 billion ($4.2 billion) deal to buy a combined 37.62 per cent stake in London's Heathrow Airport from Spanish construction firm Ferrovial and other shareholders of FGP Topco, the parent company of Heathrow Airport Holdings. It has four main sources of funding: capital injections from the government, government asset transfers, retained earnings from investments, and loans and debt instruments. The fund, which received 8 per cent more of Aramco shares from the government last year, has also continued to diversify its funding sources, raising $9.83 billion in public debt and an additional $7 billion in private debt, it said in the report. 'The 2024 results highlight PIF's transition from digital transformation to digital leadership, with artificial intelligence and automation together becoming a vital part of operations," said Maram Al Johani, PIF's acting chief of staff and secretary general to the board. "In 2024, PIF completed 58 digital projects, launched 15 new applications and automated more than 477 processes, enabling insights, strategy and the creation of economic value.' The PIF also raised its target for assets under management by 2030 to $2.67 trillion, up nearly 43 per cent from its original target of $1.87 trillion, the annual report released by the Saudi government's Vision 2030 in April said. The fund has helped create 1.1 million jobs in the kingdom as of 2024, up from 77,700 in 2021, the report found.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store