Latest news with #Astral
The Citizen
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Mediclinic's employees' data compromised. Investigations underway
The information reportedly includes employees' salaries, disciplinary hearings, and others. Prominent hospital group Mediclinic is investigating a cyberattack that exposed the personal information of its employees. The information reportedly includes employees' salaries, disciplinary hearings, and others. Mediclinic currently operates 50 hospitals, 15 day clinics, five sub-acute and six mental health facilities throughout South Africa, as well as three private hospitals in Namibia, with more than 8 945 beds. Mediclinic Investigates The private hospital group confirmed to The Citizen that its third-party IT service provider experienced a cybersecurity incident. 'Upon learning of this incident, Mediclinic engaged the third-party IT service provider, who reported that it immediately took steps to ensure the containment of the incident, including immediately isolating the affected system, resetting access credentials, and working with external specialists in an incident response investigation.' After following certain procedures, it was determined that the data impacted is limited to employment-related data. The hospital has taken appropriate steps to contact those whose data they believe may have been impacted by the incident, in accordance with data protection guidelines. ALSO READ: Cybersecurity breach costs Astral R20 million in profit No patient data stolen at Mediclinic Mediclinic stated that it is confident no patient data has been compromised, and it did not experience any disruption to its business operations. 'Since the incident, we have and continue to implement further measures to enhance security safeguards in relation to our third-party vendors. 'Mediclinic reported the incident to the appropriate regulators in each of our operating markets, and we continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as needed.' Other cyberattacks MyBroadband reported that the group responsible for the cyberattack is Everest Group. The group has launched cyberattacks in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. It reportedly launched a cyberattack against Coca-Cola, during which it stole records associated with hundreds of employees, including their personally identifiable information (PII), such as names and addresses, salary records, and scans of passports and visas. NOW READ: AI job takeover begins: Mediclinic replaces admin staff to save R2 billion
Business Standard
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Astral gains as Q4 PAT jumps 4% YoY to Rs 190 crore
Astral added 3.02% to Rs 1,419 after its standalone net profit jumped 3.76% to Rs 190 crore on 3.64% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 1,542.3 in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24. On a consolidated basis, the company's net profit fell 1.26% to Rs 179.30 crore on a 3.46% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 1,681 in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24. Profit before tax fell 2.03% to Rs 236.40 crore posted in Q4 FY25 as against Rs 236.40 crore posted in the same period last year. During the quarter, the Earnings before Depreciation, Interest, Taxes, and Amortization (EBDITA) was at Rs 310.80 crore, up 3.05% as against Rs 301.60 crore in Q4 FY25. EBDITA margin reduced 18.5% in Q4 FY25 as against 18.6% in Q4 FY24. The plumbing business reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,226.6 crore in Q4 FY25, marginally up 0.11% YoY. The paints and adhesives business reported revenue from operation of Rs 454.80 crore in Q4 FY25, up 13.72% YoY. As of 31 March 2025, consolidated cash (including cash equivalents) and bank balances stood at 608.20 crore. On a full-year basis, the companys consolidated net profit declined 4.08% to Rs 523.80 crore in FY25, even as revenue from operations rose 3.38% year-on-year to Rs 5,832.40 crore. Meanwhile, the board of directors has recommended a final dividend of Rs 2.25 per share (with a face value of re. 1/- each), subject to the approval of shareholders at the forthcoming annual general meeting. During the financial year 202425, Adhesive Business in India recorded a growth of 14.4%, with an EBITDA margin of 16.8%. The paint business grew by 5.7% during the same period, achieving an EBITDA margin of 5.9%. Astral is engaged in the manufacturing of CPVC pipes & fittings.
Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Astral consolidated net profit declines 1.27% in the March 2025 quarter
Sales rise 3.46% to Rs 1681.40 crore Net profit of Astral declined 1.27% to Rs 179.30 crore in the quarter ended March 2025 as against Rs 181.60 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2024. Sales rose 3.46% to Rs 1681.40 crore in the quarter ended March 2025 as against Rs 1625.10 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2024. For the full year,net profit declined 4.08% to Rs 523.80 crore in the year ended March 2025 as against Rs 546.10 crore during the previous year ended March 2024. Sales rose 3.39% to Rs 5832.40 crore in the year ended March 2025 as against Rs 5641.40 crore during the previous year ended March 2024. Particulars Quarter Ended Year Ended Mar. 2025 Mar. 2024 % Var. Mar. 2025 Mar. 2024 % Var. Sales 1681.401625.10 3 5832.405641.40 3 OPM % 17.9617.93 - 16.2216.28 - PBDT 301.20293.80 3 945.90931.20 2 PBT 236.40241.30 -2 702.50733.60 -4 NP 179.30181.60 -1 523.80546.10 -4
Business Upturn
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Astral Q4 Results: Revenue up 3.44% YoY to Rs 1,681 crore, Net Profit down 1.43% YoY
By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on May 21, 2025, 17:19 IST Astral Ltd reported its Q4 FY25 financial results, posting a consolidated revenue of ₹1,681 crore, reflecting a 3.4% year-on-year growth from ₹1,625 crore in Q4 FY24. However, the net profit declined 4.9% YoY to ₹179 crore compared to ₹181.6 crore in the same quarter last year. Financial highlights (YoY): Revenue : ₹1,681 crore vs ₹1,625 crore (up 3.4%) EBITDA : ₹310.8 crore vs ₹301.6 crore (up 3.1%) EBITDA Margin : 18.5% vs 18.6% PBT : ₹236.4 crore vs ₹241 crore (down 2.0%) Net Profit : ₹178 crore vs ₹181 crore (down 1.8%) Basic EPS: ₹6.67 vs ₹6.76 (down 1.3%) Segment highlights: Plumbing Business: Revenue: ₹1,226.6 crore vs ₹1,225.2 crore (flat) EBITDA: ₹250.4 crore vs ₹250.2 crore (flat) Sales Volume: 67,692 MT vs 66,827 MT (up 1.3%) Paints and Adhesives: Revenue: ₹454.8 crore vs ₹399.9 crore (up 13.7%) EBITDA: ₹60.4 crore vs ₹51.4 crore (up 17.5%) Management commentary: Despite PVC price volatility and industry-wide headwinds, Astral managed to maintain margins and recorded consistent revenue growth. The company also expanded its production capacity and entered new segments like FirePro fittings and channel drain systems. A final dividend of ₹2.25 per share was announced. Disclaimer: The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. Stock market investments are subject to market risks. Always conduct your own research or consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions. Author or Business Upturn is not liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
Daily Maverick
20-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
After the Bell: Open for business — bring your own power and water
For as long as I can remember our government has been claiming to promote business, and to want economic growth. For the past 11 years we have even had a dedicated 'Small Business Development Ministry'. Whenever our ministers go to Western countries or places like Davos they will use the slogan 'South Africa is open for business'. And from time to time you will see President Cyril Ramaphosa or Department of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau arriving at some kind of launch, or the opening of a factory. But look at how tough it actually is to run a business in South Africa. Take Astral Foods. They produce something that probably three-quarters of South Africans consume. It's a simple business, they take maize, and feed it to chickens, which are then slaughtered and sold. It is a business replicated around the world, it happens almost everywhere people eat meat. And while we are not the biggest producer in the world (it has been said there is one farm in Brazil that literally produces as much chicken as we do) we are no slouches either. We have been doing it for a long time. All of this means that for Astral, to make money should not be hard. It should be one of the simplest businesses in the country. But because local government has been so useless, and it must be said, mainly because of the way the ANC has allowed its people to govern, it is now incredibly hard. In fact, Astral said in its results yesterday that it had been subsidising the price of chicken, it had actually been making a loss. It is true that this is a hugely competitive industry; like anything in the world, if it can be done here it can be done somewhere else, and the only argument is around pricing. For years the letters section of the Business Day newspaper was overtaken by the fight between domestic poultry producers and people who imported chicken on the question of whether Brazil was dumping chicken here. In other words, selling it for less than it cost to produce (for reasons that are not clear to me, people in Europe prefer the white breast milk of chickens, while most of us — correctly! — prefer the drumsticks, thighs and wings, meaning Brazilian producers could sell the bony parts at a loss). It's also true that the avian flu outbreak in Brazil might well make life a lot easier for Astral pretty soon. But we shouldn't forget the real reasons for this. On Monday night this week, Astral's CEO Gary Arnold said on The Money Show that the fact that the Lekwa Municipality around Standerton could not provide enough water and electricity for their big plant there was costing them R10-million a month. It's been so bad for so long that this is now an embedded cost; Astral budgets for it every year. This is R10-million a month that could be going to profit, or to higher salaries for all of the people who work there. Or even lower prices for people who buy what they produce. They are not the only ones hit by problems in councils, virtually everyone outside of the Western Cape is. Earlier today the CEO of the Minerals Council, Mzila Mthenjane, said that: 'In remote and rural areas where the bulk of mining happens, the dysfunctionality of municipalities makes daily operation difficult and unattractive for investments for any companies considering setting up businesses.' No one is going to invest in places where people are desperate for jobs. Joburg is now so bad, with so little prospect of a recovery in the medium term that some firms must be wondering how hard it would be to move, no matter what the cost. The main reasons for this are not about resources or the ability of South Africans. It's all about politics. And so often, the politics of the ANC. It's usually (but not always) in the councils where they provide the mayor, or are the biggest party, where this happens. Ditsobotla Municipality is the best example. For a very long time it was known as the town 'with two mayors'. This was not a fight between parties, it was a fight between two factions of the same party. Both of these 'mayors' came from the ANC. Unfortunately, local government is not the only problem companies like Astral face. As they put it in their results yesterday: 'On the global front, the uncertain landscape characterised by trade wars, various conflicts and shifting alliances poses risks for an economic slowdown, market uncertainty and currency volatility.' Again, this is all the fault of politicians. Some of them here, some of them in other places. So this evening, raise a glass to people who run businesses. It's hell out there. And we all know who to blame for that. DM
