Media OutReach
DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited Half-Year Results For The Six Months Ended 30 June 2025 And Announcement Of Special Dividend
- 39% underlying earnings growth
- Increased contributions from associates, Health & Beauty and Food
- Health & Beauty delivered strong like-for-like (LFL) sales growth of 4%
- Portfolio simplification continues with the announced divestment of Singapore Food business and sale of minority stake in Robinsons Retail
- Proceeds from Yonghui and Robinsons Retail divestments strengthen balance sheet to a net cash position of US$442 million
- Raised full-year underlying profit guidance to be between US$250 million and US$270 million
- Declared special dividend of US¢44.30 per share in addition to interim dividend of US¢3.50
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 July 2025 – “We are pleased to report strong first-half underlying profit growth to US$105 million, supported by improved Health & Beauty and Food profitability, higher contribution from associates, and a stabilising revenue growth trend. Our ongoing portfolio evolution enables us to prioritise capital on high-margin businesses and growth initiatives, while providing strategic flexibility for inorganic opportunities. As a result of our strategic progress, we are pleased to announce a special dividend of US¢44.30 per share – the first in 18 years – returning a total of US$647 million to shareholders, including the regular interim dividend. These decisions underscore our confidence in DFI’s long-term growth strategy and commitment to shareholder returns.”
Scott Price
Group Chief Executive
OVERVIEW
The Group continued to demonstrate strong business resilience by effectively executing its strategic and margin expansion initiatives. Despite the continued shift towards value by consumers, LFL subsidiary sales for the first half of 2025 remained largely stable compared to the same period last year, excluding the impact of a significant cigarette tax increase in Hong Kong and the divestment of Hero Supermarket business in Indonesia in 2024. LFL subsidiary sales have demonstrated a steady recovery with a return to moderate growth in the second quarter of 2025.
Significant progress has been made in the Group’s strategic pivot from a portfolio investor to an operating company centred on five key deliverables:
- Retail excellence: Delivering a best-in-class customer proposition
- Customer access: Strategically expanding store network
- Omnichannel and data ecosystem: Powering e-commerce and retail media with data-driven insights
- Lean and agile operations: Streamlining business for more efficient decision making
- Evolving portfolio: Prioritising capital returns and shareholder value
The Group continues to reinvest in pricing to deliver a stronger customer value proposition while resetting our sourcing strategy to expand gross profit. Reduction in financing costs and higher underlying profit from associates contributed to a 39% increase in underlying profit attributable to shareholders for the first half of 2025.
The Group continues to evolve its portfolio to enhance operational focus and enable more efficient capital allocation, supporting subsidiary business growth both organically and inorganically should shareholder accretive opportunities arise. During the reporting period, the Group completed the divestment of minority stakes in both Yonghui and Robinsons Retail, generating total gross proceeds of approximately US$900 million. Additionally, the Group announced the divestment of its Singapore Food business for approximately US$93 million in cash consideration.
As a result of this strategic progress, the Board has approved a special dividend of US¢44.30 per share, equivalent to US$600 million in total payment. Concurrently, the Group declared an interim dividend of US¢3.50 per share, in line with the prior comparable period. These decisions underscore the Group’s confidence in its long-term growth strategy and its commitment to creating value for its shareholders.
OPERATING PERFORMANCE
Overall
Total revenue from subsidiaries for the first half of 2025 was US$4.4 billion, up 0.3% year-on-year on a LFL basis, excluding the impact of a significant cigarette tax increase in Hong Kong and the divestment of the Hero Supermarket business in Indonesia in 2024. Strong sales growth in the Health & Beauty division was offset by lower contributions from other segments. Total revenue, which includes 100% of associates and joint ventures, was US$8.2 billion. Excluding the impact of the minority stake divestment in Yonghui completed at the end of February 2025, as well as the additional two months of sales contribution from Robinsons Retail following the stake disposal at the end of May 2025, total revenue increased by approximately 1%.
Total underlying profit attributable to shareholders for the first half of 2025 reached US$105 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 39%, primarily driven by improved performance in associates. Underlying profit from subsidiaries was US$75 million, reflecting a 3% year-on-year increase. Strong performance in the Health & Beauty and Food divisions was partially offset by lower profitability in Convenience as a result of the cigarette tax impact, and higher selling, general and administrative expenses[1] primarily due to a one-time reversal of long-term incentive accruals in 2024 related to executive departures. After accounting for the divestment of Yonghui, underlying profit from associates was US$30 million, an improvement from US$3 million from the prior comparable period, supported by higher contributions from both Maxim’s and Robinsons Retail.
Free cash flow for the period was a net inflow of US$89 million, compared with US$61 million in the first half of 2024. As at 30 June 2025, the Group’s net cash was US$442 million, compared to US$468 million net debt at 31 December 2024.
Subsidiaries
Sales for the Health & Beauty division were US$1.3 billion, up 4% year-on-year on a LFL basis, underscoring the strengthening brand equity of Mannings and Guardian as trusted advisors in health and wellness. Mannings Hong Kong delivered strong LFL sales growth of 6%, driven by growing basket size as the team continued to enhance assortment in key wellness categories, including supplements and derma skin care. Solid LFL sales performance of Guardian was supported by basket size increases across key Southeast Asian markets and improved promotional efficiency, particularly in Indonesia. Integrating the Own Brand team across Food and Health & Beauty drove stronger product relevance and cost efficiency, resulting in improved sales and profit productivity per SKU. Overall, divisional profit grew 8% to US$109 million on a LFL basis1.
Total Convenience sales were US$1.1 billion, down 4% year-on-year on a LFL basis, primarily due to reduced volumes of lower-margin cigarette following tax increases in Hong Kong at the end of February 2024. Excluding cigarettes, overall LFL sales were down 1%. Hong Kong performance recovered in the second quarter, following the annualisation of the tax effect and continued growth in higher-margin ready-to-eat (RTE) categories. Excluding cigarettes, LFL sales for the first half were in line with the prior comparable period. 7-Eleven Singapore reported LFL sales below the same period last year. South China reported robust sales growth due to network expansion but lower LFL sales given intensified subsidy initiatives from food delivery platforms. The team remains focused on driving footfall and sales by expanding the RTE offering, including a larger rollout of the Food Bar format to 375 stores by the end of this year. Despite a favourable sales mix shift towards higher-margin RTE products, profit for the division dropped by 18% year-on-year to US$38 million due to tough comparables in the first half of 2024 as a result of a one-off windfall gain from cigarette inventory purchased before tax increase. Excluding which, profit for the division was up 9% year-on-year.
Revenue for the Food division reduced marginally to US$1.5 billion, after excluding the impact of the divestment of the Hero Supermarket business last year. Sales resumed growth in the second quarter, supported by the Group’s focus on enhancing the value of consumers’ food baskets. In Hong Kong, investment in reduced pricing has resulted in a 2.5% increase in footfall in May and 3.4% in June, in addition to a consistent rise in items per basket. To further enhance its fresh and value proposition, the Wellcome team launched a partnership with Dingdong Limited (DDL), a leading Chinese online grocery platform, during the second quarter of 2025. The collaboration offers consumers a wider selection of fresh produce at more competitive prices. The team’s effort to strategically source the core basket will support both price reinvestment and continued net margin expansion in the coming years. Overall Food profit grew 14% year-on-year to US$24 million on a LFL basis1.
Sales performance of the Home Furnishings division remained challenged due to intense competition and shifts in basket mix, mainly in Hong Kong and Indonesia while Taiwan demonstrated relative resilience. Effective cost control measures across markets supported a recovery in underlying profit for the first half of the year. The IKEA Hong Kong business is strengthening its value-driven omnichannel proposition by reinvesting in core product pricing, evolving seasonal food range and leveraging yuu data for more precise customer targeting. In Indonesia, the IKEA team remains focused on driving sales through an expanded digital presence and intensified marketing efforts.
Digital
During the first half of 2025, the Group continued to strengthen its digital presence with the launch of new online channels, including a 7-Eleven app in Singapore. Our expanded digital assets, quick commerce service with third-party platforms and data-driven personalised offerings create a seamless omnichannel shopping experience across physical and digital touchpoints, contributing to a growing e-commerce penetration of approximately 5%. Daily e-commerce order volume surpassed 96,000, reflecting an 85% year-on-year increase and a substantial improvement in profit contribution.
DFIQ, the Group’s retail media business, continues to gain strong momentum, completing over 160 targeted marketing campaigns in the first half of 2025, compared to 12 in the prior comparable period. The DFIQ team has successfully piloted in-store media in select Mannings stores in Hong Kong, as well as Guardian and 7-Eleven outlets in Singapore. This uniquely integrated online-to-offline retail media solution provides suppliers with an expanded reach, driving enhanced customer loyalty and conversion throughout the entire purchase journey.
Associates
The Group’s share of Maxim’s underlying profits was US$14 million for the first half of 2025, up from US$8 million in the same period last year, underpinned by continued cost optimisation and operational efficiency measures. Sales performance was largely stable year-on-year, with strong growth in Southeast Asia offset by weaker restaurant performance in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
Underlying profit contribution from Robinsons Retail was US$18 million, an improvement of approximately US$9 million from the first half of 2024. This includes the impact of two additional months of contribution, amounting to approximately US$5 million, following the completion of the divestment at the end of May 2025.
The divestment of the Group’s stake in Yonghui was completed in February 2025.
RECENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS
On 24 March 2025, the Group announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Macrovalue, a leading Southeast Asian retail group, with respect to the divestment of its Singapore Food business, which includes the Cold Storage, CS Fresh, Jason’s Deli and Giant brands, for a total cash consideration of SGD125 million or approximately US$93 million, subject to adjustments. The transaction is subject to closing conditions and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
On 30 May 2025, the Group announced and completed the divestment of its 22.2% stake, in Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., for a total cash consideration of PHP15.8 billion or approximately US$283 million. Following the completion of the transaction, the Group ceases to hold any interest in Robinsons Retail.
The above transactions reflect the Group’s strategic pivot from a portfolio investor to a focused operating company, enabling the Group to redeploy capital to support the growth of its subsidiary businesses with higher accretive returns.
OUTLOOK
The Group remains confident in its ability to navigate the evolving market landscape, supported by strategic initiatives aimed at driving market share gain and profit growth across all businesses. These initiatives include strengthening the value proposition, optimising assortment through data-driven insights, expanding omnichannel presence and accelerating monetisation of digital assets. With a more focused business portfolio and enhanced operational efficiency, the Group is committed to delivering sustained, profitable growth by balancing ongoing investments in businesses and areas with long-term strategic value, while also increasing returns for shareholders.
The Group restates its full-year organic revenue growth outlook to a range of 0.5% to 1.0% (from approximately 2%), reflecting broader economic uncertainty and a sharper-than-expected decline in cigarette sales. Despite a more cautious revenue outlook, the Group expects to deliver stronger profitability through enhanced operational efficiency and disciplined cost management. The Group, therefore, revises its full-year guidance of underlying profit attributable to shareholders to be between US$250 million and US$270 million (up from previously between US$230 million and US$270 million).
Scott Price
Group Chief Executive
Hashtag: #DFIRetailGroup#Guardian#Mannings#7-Eleven#ColdStorage#Giant#Wellcome#IKEA#yuu#Maxim’s
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DFI Retail Group
DFI Retail Group (the Group) is a leading Asian retailer, driven by its purpose to ‘Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments’.
At 30 June 2025, the Group and its associates operated over 7,500 outlets, of which over 5,500 stores were operated by subsidiaries. The Group, together with its associates, employed over 83,000 people, with over 45,000 employed by subsidiaries. The Group had total annual revenue in 2024 of US$24.9 billion and reported revenue of US$8.9 billion.
DFI is dedicated to delivering quality, value and service to Asian consumers through a compelling retail experience supported by an extensive store network and highly efficient supply chains.
The Group including its associates operates a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants. The principal brands are:
Health and Beauty
• Mannings on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R.; Guardian in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
Convenience
• 7-Eleven in Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Singapore and Southern China.
Food
• Wellcome and Market Place in Hong Kong S.A.R.; Cold Storage and Giant in Singapore; Lucky in Cambodia.
Home Furnishings
• IKEA in Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Indonesia and Taiwan.
Restaurants
• Hong Kong Maxim’s group on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Group’s parent company, DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited, is incorporated in Bermuda and has a primary listing in the equity shares (transition) category of the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Bermuda and Singapore. The Group’s businesses are managed from Hong Kong. DFI Retail Group is a member of the Jardine Matheson group.
Media OutReach
Zuellig Pharma Acquires Cialis® (Tadalafil) from Lilly in three additional markets in Asia
Following the acquisition, Zuellig Pharma will now own the trademarks, marketing authorizations and license manufacturing know-how for Cialis®, a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), in 11 markets in Asia, with the expansion of its ownership into three additional markets beyond the original eight. Zuellig Pharma will also continue to promote and distribute the brand in these markets.
The expanded ownership of Cialis® will widen accessibility of the drug to a significant population of men in Asia who are affected by ED and BPH. The acquisition also aligns with Zuellig Pharma’s strategic priority of building a strong portfolio of owned prescription healthcare products as an integrated healthcare solutions company.
“Our acquisition of Cialis® in three additional markets builds on the strong foundation we established two years ago and highlights our proven success in scaling trusted brands effectively through our commercial capabilities and deep expertise. As we broaden our footprint, we remain focused on delivering sustainable growth and advancing our purpose of making in-demand healthcare solutions more accessible to communities in Asia,” said John Graham, CEO of Zuellig Pharma.
Hashtag: #ZuelligPharma #EliLillyandCompany #Cialis #MensHealth #Healthcare #Pharmaceuticals
https://www.zuelligpharma.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/zuellig-pharma
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Zuellig Pharma
Zuellig Pharma is a leading healthcare solutions company in Asia, and our purpose is to make healthcare more accessible to the communities we serve. We provide world-class distribution, commercialization, and clinical trial support services, underpinned by a strong culture of innovation to support the growing healthcare needs in this region. The company was founded a hundred years ago and has grown to become a multibillion-dollar business covering 18 markets with over 12,000 employees. Our people serve more than 200,000 medical facilities and work with over 450 clients, including the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in the world.
Media OutReach
Ingdan Powers Embodied AI with Humanoid-Style Brain-Cerebellum Chipset to Boost Robotics Ecosystem
2026 is widely regarded as a milestone year for humanoid robotics, in which humanoid robots transition from laboratory prototypes and demonstration performances to large‑scale mass production. At CES in January, NVIDIA announced the commercial launch of its physical‑AI core platform Jetson Thor. Tesla is scheduled to officially release the mass‑production engineering version of its Optimus (V3) humanoid robot by the end of March, with plans to initiate million‑unit‑level production lines by the end of 2026—an inflection point widely regarded as the “Model 3 moment” of the humanoid robotics industry. At the same time, Chinese robotics companies such as AGIBOT, Unitree, and Fourier Intelligence have already deployed products at scale in warehousing and logistics scenarios.
Against this backdrop, the upstream hardware focus of the humanoid robotics industry is increasingly converging on “Brain-Cerebellum” collaboration and low‑latency, multi‑joint real‑time control, which are essential to achieving coordinated, smooth, and human‑like robotic motion. During the CMG Spring Festival Gala, robots from multiple companies demonstrated complex coordinated movements and dexterous hand operations, further highlighting the value of this technical direction.
D‑Robotics, originating from the AIoT and robotics division of Horizon Robotics, focuses on edge‑side embodied intelligence solutions characterized by high computing power, integrated computation and control, and low latency. Leveraging its parent company’s long‑term experience in intelligent driving, D‑Robotics has established a precise position in humanoid robot “Brain-Cerebellum” coordination and real‑time joint control.
In November 2025, D‑Robotics unveiled its flagship robotics computing platform S600, with an official release planned for the end of the first quarter of 2026. The S600 platform features a highly integrated humanoid‑style “Brain-Cerebellum” chipset architecture. Its “Brain” configuration combines an 18‑core A78AE CPU with a proprietary Nash‑architecture BPU, delivering 560 TOPS (INT8) edge computing power and supporting efficient deployment of VLA, VLM, LLM, and locomotion models. Its “Cerebellum” configuration integrates a 6‑core R52+ MCU, providing high‑reliability, real‑time motion control.
By integrating CPU, BPU, and real‑time MCU capabilities into a single SoC, S600 enables a closed‑loop architecture encompassing perception, decision‑making, and real‑time action control. This design addresses a key industry challenge in which many edge AI processors lack embedded real‑time MCUs and rely on external controllers, resulting in excessive latency. The integrated MCU supports high‑frequency, high‑precision PWM signal generation based on FOC algorithms, enabling precise motor control and contributing to stable rhythm and natural gait.
The S600 platform has been adopted by multiple robotics companies such as Fourier Intelligence, Booster Robotics, X Square Robot, and ROBOTERA, supporting applications that require stable multi‑joint coordination and smooth motion performance.
Ingdan, Inc. (00400.HK) is a core supplier in the AI computing power supply chain and an application technology solutions provider covering both AI infrastructure and AI intelligent terminals. The Company represents a broad portfolio of international semiconductor manufacturers, including NVIDIA, Xilinx, Intel, AMD, and SanDisk, as well as numerous domestic chip vendors. It serves hundreds of robotics manufacturers and Tier‑1 customers and has formed a comprehensive embodied intelligence ecosystem.
D‑Robotics is a core product line Ingdan distributes . Building on D‑Robotics’ products and combined with its own technical services—such as multi‑sensor fusion development, real‑time closed‑loop tuning, Quantization‑Aware Training (QAT) support, simulation testing, and modular SOM customization—the Group has supported sophisticated customers including Galbot and ROBOTERA, continuously enriching the robotics industry ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Ingdan will continue to focus on the humanoid robotics sector. Leveraging an IC product matrix centered on NVIDIA Jetson and D‑Robotics platforms, the Company aims to further strengthen its AI intelligent terminal capabilities and continue supporting the iterative development of embodied intelligence products.
For investor and media enquiries
Please email to **@****an.com
Hashtag: #Ingdan #Chips #humanoid #D‑Robotics #NVIDIA #Tech
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Ingdan, Inc.
Ingdan, Inc. (00400.HK) is a core supplier in the AI computing power supply chain and an application technology solutions provider covering both AI infrastructure and AI intelligent terminals. The Company represents a broad portfolio of international semiconductor manufacturers, including NVIDIA, Xilinx, Intel, AMD, and SanDisk, as well as numerous domestic chip vendors. It serves hundreds of robotics manufacturers and Tier‑1 customers and has formed a comprehensive embodied intelligence ecosystem.
Media OutReach
Snow, Ice, and Performance: 2026 Changan Global Testing Season Arrives in Europe with Back-to-Back Winter Events
- European dealers and journalists experienced the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD at 2026 Changan Global Testing Season this February.
- With intelligent AWD and advanced ADAS, the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD offered uncompromising safety and control on winter roads.
Saalfelden, Austria – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 March 2026 – Following extreme cold tests in Yakeshi, China, the 2026 Changan Global Testing Season made its European debut this February with the Changan Winter Experience in Courmayeur and the Winter Test Drives in Saalfelden. The all-electric CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD was tested on snow and ice—familiar conditions for European drivers—offering dealers and journalists an immersive introduction to Changan’s electric mobility vision through dynamic drives.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist and Milano Cortina 2026 Ambassador Deborah Compagnoni joined the event in Courmayeur, testing the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD. Her career—defined by determination, control, and reliability—reflects Changan’s core values. “I felt that the principles of trajectory and speed in skiing apply to driving. With this model, you gain confidence on challenging terrain,” she said.
Snow-Validated Performance: The CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD
Tested in Europe, the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD demonstrated controllable dynamics, reliable traction, and enhanced safety—highlighting its cutting-edge AWD and ADAS. The system adapts seamlessly: ECO/COMFORT modes prioritize RWD efficiency, while AWD will engage automatically when sensors detect slip, high torque demand, or extreme cold below -25°C. SPORT mode delivers permanent 50:50 torque for sharper response. SNOW mode maintains balanced torque with optimized slip control for confident driving on low-grip surfaces.
The intelligent AWD system delivers up to 320 kW power, 502 Nm torque, and 0–100 km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds. It also improves hill climbing with a 40% gradient capability, ensures stability by actively balancing power to prevent skidding, and enables safer cornering at higher speeds through optimized grip and vehicle dynamics.
Changan Standard: Proven in the Alps, Bound for the World
Changan Standard is defined by a principle: forged in extremes, built for every day. From Yakeshi to the Alps, the test environments are selected to verify specific performance attributes—safety technologies, chassis response, all-wheel-drive calibration, and ADAS in low-grip scenarios. The objective of 2026 Global Testing Season is not to demonstrate extremes, but to confirm consistency: that the same level of safety, control, and stability demonstrated will be replicated in Mexico, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
Hashtag: #Changan
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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