Staff Correspondent
Navigating the current global and local macroeconomic challenges, the country's largest drug maker Square Pharmaceuticals posted a remarkable surge in its net profit in the first six months [July-December period] of FY25.
During this period, Square Pharma, the flagship company of Square Group, registered Tk 1,270 crore in net profit, compared to Tk 1,124.90 crore in the same period previous year.
On Thursday, the board of directors of Square Pharma approved the unaudited financial statement for the second quarter.
Despite several macroeconomic challenges on both global and domestic fronts, the pharma company displayed a handsome profit during the period thanks to policy support and the installation of tech-savvy machinery for the production of high-quality drugs.
Besides, the inclusion of anti-Covid drugs in its export basket also played a pioneering role in ramping up its earnings.
In the six months, the publicly traded company's consolidated earnings per share (EPS) rose to Tk 14.32 from earnings per share of Tk 12.69 for the same period last year.
Meanwhile, in the second quarter [October-December period] of the current fiscal year, Square Pharma reported a net profit of Tk 660 crore, which was Tk 524 crore in the same quarter a year ago.
During this period, the company's EPS stood at Tk 7.45 against Tk 5.92 year-on-year.
The company reported a consolidated net asset value (NAV) per share of Tk 145.52 as of December 31, 2024.
Speaking to The Business Post, a top official of Square Pharma said, "Investment is a part of our regular operations and expansion plan. We allocate a substantial slice of our profits for the investment plan because old machinery needs to be upgraded, while new equipment is also needed for further advancement."
The drug maker also posted substantial growth in its business, riding on the unveiling of new drugs as well as its strong marketing strategy.
Square Pharma is the biggest drug manufacturer in Bangladesh with a market share of 17.2 per cent in the country's $3.2 billion worth of pharmaceuticals market.
The drug maker put a hefty investment of Tk 1,050 crore in BMRE (balancing, modernisation, rehabilitation, and expansion) to materialise the procurement, setting up new machinery, and land purchase for further expansion in four years.
Listed in 1995, the company's shares closed at Tk 216.70 per share on the trading floor of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) on Thursday.