Thomas Cook share price rises after it posts first annual profit in five years
The figures
Thomas Cook Group revenue increased 1.1 per cent to £7.83bn in the year ended 30 September, reflecting continued customer demand for differentiated holiday offering.
The FTSE 250 listed group's profit after tax crept to a positive £19m, up from a £115m loss in 2014, marking its first positive annual profit after tax since 2010.
And while Thomas Cook temporarily stopped dividend payments in 2010, the company said today said that it expects to return these in early 2017.
Its shares were up 4.6 per cent to 102.93p per share at the open.
Why it's interesting
Thomas Cook is focusing on improvements to its own-brand hotel and flights, as well as a range of third-party products. The company believes this strategy will help it "generate resilient revenue growth, improve profitability, increase cash flows and deliver further shareholder value".
The financial year got off to a shaky start, with the shock departure of chief executive and turnaround star Harriet Green in November 2014.
The travel company came under increasing pressure regarding its response to the deaths of Christi and Bobby Shepherd, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning on a Thomas Cook-arranged holiday in 2006.
It also faced headwinds from the tragedy in Tunisia, and political instability surrounding Greek debt crisis.
Thomas Cook today gave an update on its joint venture in China with Fosun International, one of the country's largest conglomerates.
"Our business plan focuses on the fast-growing Chinese leisure travel market, and we expect to obtain the relevant regulatory licences to begin trading in the New Year," it said.
What Thomas Cook said
"2015 has been a year of real progress as good trading combined with rigorous cost control to deliver our first positive profit after tax in five years. Despite turbulence in some of our destinations, the underlying business performed in line with our plans at the start of the year, demonstrating its greater resilience," Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of Thomas Cook, said.
"Of course, the past year has also presented considerable challenges for Thomas Cook as we confronted the mistakes that were made following the deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd in Corfu nine years ago. I am clear that we need to learn from the tragedy and do things differently in the future."
In short
Thomas Cook managed to shake off a number of headwinds, such as instability in some of its top destinations, enabling it to return to profit for the first time in five years.