Cargills (Ceylon) Limited, the country’s leading supermarket operator, has continued in its growth mode in the first quarter of this year with group turnover up to Rs.3.3 billion from Rs.2.4 billion a year earlier and the attributable profit of Rs.35.4 million more than double the Rs.16.6 million earned in the first quarter of the previous financial year.

At company level the results were as good with turnover up to approximately Rs.2 billion from Rs.1.8 billion and the attributable profit of Rs.43.9 million more than double the Rs.20.1 million earned in the comparative period for that year.

Provisional results now with shareholders indicate that group earnings translated to Rs.6.33 per share while at company level there was an earning of Rs.7.84 per share.

Cargills had an issued share capital of Rs.56 million, reserves of Rs.775.5 million and accumulated profits of Rs.34.8 million in its books as at June 30, 2005.

The period under review had seen both income and expenditure growing with administrative as well as selling and distribution expenses rising fairly substantially but the operating profit of Rs.106.4 million for the group was up from Rs.70.2 million a year earlier.

Finance cost too had grown to Rs.44.6 million from Rs.36.5 million.