Cohort adjusted earnings improve as Chess acquisition fires

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Defence technology contractor Cohort posted a rise in full-year adjusted earnings, after a better-than-expected contribution from the recently acquired Chess electro-optics business helped offset a weaker performance from Portuguese unit EID.

Pre-tax profit for the year through April fell 44% to £5.7m amid one-off hits including a higher amortisation charge.

Rrevenue rose 10% to £121.2m and adjusted operating profit rose 6% to £16.2m.

The company declared a full-year dividend of 9.10p per share, up 11% on-year.

Looking forward, Cohort said a strong order book provided a good underpinning for revenue in the coming year.

'Our record order intake of nearly £190m and an all time high closing order book of £191m gives us a strong base for the coming financial year,' chairman Nick Prest said.

'We also have a good pipeline of order prospects.'

'Overall, we expect the group to continue to make progress in the coming year and beyond, taking into consideration the budgetary risks of our main UK customer, the timing of exports and the strong opening order book.'

At 10:08am: (LON:CHRT) Cohort PLC share price was 0p at 440p