Qingdao, China and Rockville, Md., June 16 - Synutra International, Inc., a leading infant formula company in China, and a producer, marketer and seller of nutritional products for infants, children and adults, today reported results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. The Company's strong operational and financial performance is detailed in the Company's Annual Report, which has been filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Synutra's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Liang Zhang commented: ''During this fiscal year, we recorded strong growth as we benefited from growing industry demand as well as increasing brand recognition. Our sales and marketing initiatives and commitment to offering high-quality products that address the evolving demands of our customer base allowed us to continue to build brand equity and deepen market penetration in our primary markets, and to begin selective expansion into larger cities.''
Fiscal Fourth Quarter Ended March 31, 2008
Net sales in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2008 increased by 65.0% to $108.2 million, compared to $65.6 million for the same quarter in 2007. Gross profit increased by 55.0%, from $33.7 million in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2007 to $52.3 million in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2008, amounting to 48.3% of sales. Fourth quarter net income increased by 376.2% to $19.3 million, compared to net income of $4.1 million in the same period in 2007. Synutra earned $0.36 per share (basic) in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, up from $0.08 earned in the prior year period.
Full Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2008
Net sales for the full fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 increased by $145.5 million, or 67.2%, to $362.1 million, compared to $216.6 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. Gross profit increased by 74.8% to $186.5 million, from $106.7 million for the prior fiscal year. Full fiscal year net income increased by 129.8% to $45.7 million, compared to $19.9 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. Synutra earned $0.86 per share (basic) for the full fiscal year 2008, a 115% increase from $0.40 earned in the prior fiscal year.