Property and retail group Wing Tai Holdings has posted a bumper set of numbers for the fourth quarter.

Earnings came in at $129.8 million for the three months to June 30, up from $9.5 million a year earlier.

This was driven by a 258 per cent gain in share of profits of associates and joint venture (JV) companies.

Wing Tai also recorded a $21.7 million increase in other gains, mainly due to the fair value gains on investment properties and gain on disposal of subsidiary companies.

Revenue rose 80 per cent to $105.8 million, propelled by higher contributions from development properties.

Full-year earnings shot up from $20.1 million to $218.8 million, boosted by associated and JV companies and other gains. This was in part due to the group's share of gains from the disposal of two buildings in Hong Kong.

Revenue for the 12 months was $373.2 million, a 42 per cent rise from last year.

This was largely due to higher turnover from additional units sold in Le Nouvel Ardmore in Singapore and BM Mahkota in Penang.

Earnings per share for the quarter was 16.57 cents, up from 1.22 cents a year earlier.

The group has declared a first and final dividend of three cents and a special dividend of five cents.

Wing Tai said the property cooling measures announced last month will dampen the private residential market here.

Chairman Cheng Wai Keung said at a briefing yesterday that he hopes the government will be clearer on how much of the temporary cooling measures will be long-term.

"For the benefit of the industry, so that they can have more certainty in planning, I hope the government can have a long-term policy - for example, on foreign purchase," he said.

"(And for) Singaporeans who want to buy, is property an investment class for (them)?" he added, referring to the higher Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty. "What is the policy on keeping the investments in property?"

Wing Tai shares closed down two cents to $2.00 yesterday before the results were out.