Hong Leong Finance

Hong Leong Finance recorded a 16 per cent rise in full-year net profit to $72.9 million as interest on loans for the period jumped 19.5 per cent to $235.2 million.

Total interest income and hiring charges for the year ended Dec 31 grew 16.4 per cent due to a rise in the loan base and higher loan yield.

Interest expense for the year went up 27.1 per cent due to a combination of higher prevailing interest rates and a higher deposit base.

Net loan assets, including hire purchase receivables, stood at $10 billion at the end of the year, a 5.3 per cent rise over the previous year's base of $9.6 billion.

Earnings per share for the year was 16.42 cents, up from 14.17 cents the preceding year.

Net asset value per share was $3.80 as at Dec 31, up slightly from $3.74 the previous year. The company proposed a final dividend of 7 cents per share.

China Aviation Oil (Singapore)

Fourth-quarter net profit at China Aviation Oil surged 157.8 per cent to US$11.4 million (S$16 million), mainly due to profits from the trading of other oil products, which incurred losses in the preceding year, while jet fuel trading continued to generate stable profits.

Revenue for the three months ended Dec 31 fell 54.37 per cent to US$1.97 billion, due mainly to the decline in oil prices and the trading volume of jet fuel.

Earnings per share for the quarter was 1.33 US cents, up from 0.51 US cent in the same period a year ago. Net asset value per share was 68.90 US cents as at Dec 31, up from 64.35 in 2014.

Venture Corporation

Contract manufacturing services provider Venture Corp logged a fourth-quarter net profit of $44.8 million, reversing a loss of $24.5 million in the same period a year ago.

Profitability growth was driven by "successful execution on several strategic initiatives", the company said. It also registered "increased traction" with some customers and supported them in launching new products.

Revenue for the three months ended Dec 31 came in at $694 million, a 2.9 per cent rise over the preceding year. For the full year, net profit was $154 million, translating into a net profit margin of 5.8 per cent. The restated net profit for the preceding year was $76 million.

Earnings per share for the quarter was 16.2 cents, and 55.8 cents for the full year. Net asset value per share was $6.847 as at Dec 31.