27th Jan 2011 10:00
27 January 2011
Asian Citrus Holdings Limited
("Asian Citrus" or the "Company")
Trading Update
The Board wishes to inform the shareholders of the Company and potential investors in the Company that, based on the preliminary assessment of the unaudited management accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries (the "Group"), the unaudited profits of the Group for the six months ended 31 December 2010 are expected to substantially increase by more than 100% as compared to the unaudited profits for the corresponding period last year.
The improvement in the financial performance of the Group is mainly attributable to the following factors:
(i) the 25.5% increase in winter orange crop yield as stated in the Company's announcement on 10 January 2011;
(ii) the increase in average selling price of approximately 9% year on year as stated in the Company's announcement dated 8 November 2010;
(iii) the results of BPG Food and Beverage Limited ("BPG") for the one month ended 31 December 2010 which are consolidated into the Group's results following completion of the acquisition of a 92.94% equity interest of BPG on 30 November 2010; and
(iv) the net gain on change in fair value of biological assets as a result of the higher selling price of oranges achieved by the Group, the transfer of 400,000 infant trees to orange trees and the increasing maturity of orange trees in the Xinfeng Plantation. The net gain on change in fair value of biological assets does not have any cashflow effect to the Group in the reporting period
The information contained in this announcement is only based on the preliminary assessment of the unaudited management accounts of the Group for the six months ended 31 December 2010 and the information currently available to the Board, which has not been reviewed by the auditors of the Company and may be subject to adjustments. The interim results of the Group for the six months ended 31 December 2010 are expected to be released in February 2011.
Shareholders of the Company and potential investors are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the shares of the Company.
For further enquiries:
Asian Citrus
Eric Sung, Finance Director +852 2559 0323
Seymour Pierce Limited
Nandita Sahgal, Jonathan Wright (NOMAD) 020 7101 8000
Leti McManus, Richard Redmayne, Vineeta Manchanda (Broking)
Weber Shandwick Financial
Nick Oborne, Stephanie Badjonat, John Moriarty 020 7067 0700
Related Shares:
ACHL.L