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continued product diversification. However, rising input costs due to inflation have affected our profitability.”

Marico’s cost of goods sold, a key determinant of profitability, rose to 47 percent of turnover in the first half from 39 percent in the same period last year. This indicates that raw material costs increased during the current period and impacted profits. Net finance costs also rose, further affecting profitability.

Its earnings per share reached Tk 110.5, up from Tk 101.3 a year earlier.

The seller of the popular hair care oil brand Parachute announced a 500 percent interim cash dividend for its shareholders for the six-month period.

Shares of MBL, however, declined around 1 percent to Tk 2,771 at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) yesterday. The stock is currently the second-highest-valued share in the DSE after Reckitt Benckiser (Bangladesh).

MBL, which started commercial operations in January 2000, began production at its filling, crushing, and refinery units in 2002 and expanded capacity in 2012 and 2017 at its Gazipur manufacturing facility. It has recently invested in a new plant in the National Special Economic Zone at Mirsharai.