FINANCIALS: Hays profit jumps 12%

Improved consultant productivity and overhead cost reductions, as well as improved market conditions, has seen global recruiter Hays’ pre-tax profit jump 12% to £132.3m, and net fee income (NFI) rise 1% to £724.9m in the year to 30 June.
Thu, 28 Aug 2014
Improved consultant productivity and overhead cost reductions, as well as improved market conditions, has seen global recruiter Hays’ pre-tax profit jump 12% to £132.3m, and net fee income (NFI) rise 1% to £724.9m in the year to 30 June.

This sets the company on track to double operating profits by 2018, chief executive Alistair Cox said in a statement today.

Operating profits rose 12% to £140.3m in the last year, or 20% in like-for-like terms.

The company’s statement said an 8% like-for-like NFI growth in Continental Europe and the rest of the world drove the 20% increase.

There were 14 countries, including Belgium, Poland and Switzerland, that delivered like-for-like NFI growth of over 10%.

Like-for-like NFI was down in Australia (13%) and Asia Pacific (6%) but up by 25% in Asia.

The company, which employs 8,237 people, 5,357 of which are consultants, in 237 offices across 33 countries, increased its consultant headcount by 6% in anticipation of further growth.

In the UK & Ireland, NFI rose 11% to £246m and operating profit rose 368% from £5.6m to £26.2m.

The construction and property sector delivered the most significant growth in this region but accountancy and finance remained the company’s largest specialism. Activity levels in banking, however, decreased.

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