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Swire Pacific plans US$510 million stock buy-back, defying short-term challenges in show of confidence on profit rise

  • The buy-back – one of the bigger plans by Hong Kong-listed firms – comes amid narrowing losses at Cathay Pacific and a dip in profits at Swire Properties
  • Company expresses confidence in medium and long-term prospects as profits in the first six months rise 38 per cent year on year

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Swire’s Offices in Hong Kong’s Admiralty district, pictured in August 2020. Photo: SCMP / K. Y. Cheng
Cheryl Arcibal

Asian conglomerate Swire Pacific is buying back HK$4 billion (US$510 million) worth of its own shares in one of Hong Kong’s biggest buy-back mandates, as its profits in the first six months of the year rose 38 per cent year on year.

The company reported an underlying profit of HK$1.7 billion for the first six months, compared with HK$1.3 billion in the first half of 2021.

It attributed the improvement largely to Swire unit and de facto flag carrier Cathay Pacific, which narrowed its losses in the period as passenger flights rebounded. Meanwhile, Swire Properties, 82 per cent owned by Swire Pacific, saw profits decrease by 2 per cent to HK$3.6 billion in the first six months.

“The board is of the view that the implementation of the share buy-back programme is in the best interests of the company and shareholders as a whole,” the company said in a filing with the Hong Kong exchange. “A share buy-back in the present conditions will demonstrate the company’s confidence in its business outlook and prospects and would, ultimately, benefit the company and create value to the shareholders.”

Patrick Healy, chairman of Cathay Pacific, speaks during the airline’s interim results announcement on August 10, 2022. The carrier’s narrowing loss, thanks to an increase in passengers, helped parent Swire Pacific’s bottom line. Photo: SCMP/ K.Y. Cheng
Patrick Healy, chairman of Cathay Pacific, speaks during the airline’s interim results announcement on August 10, 2022. The carrier’s narrowing loss, thanks to an increase in passengers, helped parent Swire Pacific’s bottom line. Photo: SCMP/ K.Y. Cheng
The stock repurchase follows similar mandates at Li Ka-shing’s CK Asset Holdings, which allocated HK$19.4 billion last year, and HSBC Holdings which started its US$1 billion programme this year. Alibaba Group Holding expanded its buy-back to US$25 billion in March, from US$10 billion.

Shares of Swire Pacific, one of the flagship companies of the Swire Group, closed up 10.4 per cent at HK$49.90 on Thursday.

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