| £m | 2003 Half Year |
2002 Half Year |
% change | ||
 |
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| Turnover | 264.7 | 223.2 | +19% | ||
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| Operating profit* | 22.0 | 18.5 | +19% | ||
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| Profit before tax* | 17.0 | 14.2 | +20% | ||
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| Earnings per share* | 10.4 | p | 9.3 | p | +12% |
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| Dividend | 4.0 | 5p | 3.9 | p | +4% |
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* before exceptional items of £ nil (2002: £2.3m credit) and goodwill amortisation of £6.2m (2002: £3.7m) NB: Unless otherwise stated, all profit and earnings per share figures exclude exceptional items and goodwill amortisation |
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- Organic order growth of 5%
- Gross margins maintained
- Earnings per share up 12% to 10.4p
- Dividend increased by 4%
 |
Commenting on the results, Hans Nilsson, Chief Executive, said: "Spectris has again produced a creditable performance against a background of challenging markets. As a consequence of the growth in earnings in the first half, organic growth in orders of 5% and in anticipation of a full year's contribution from PANalytical, we look forward to further progress in the second half of the year." |