New Delhi: Country's largest drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories today posted profit after tax of Rs 786.6 crore for the year ended December 31,2007 as compared to Rs 515.4 crore in 2006, which is a rise of 53 per cent.

The firm's board also declared a dividend of Rs 6 each, for the year ended December 31,2007, on every share of Rs 5 held by the shareholders, Ranbaxy said in a statement.

Earlier in November 2007,the company had paid an interim dividend of Rs 2.50 per share, thereby taking the total dividend paid by the company for the year 2007 to Rs 8.50 per share.

The company has also achieved a growth of 10 per cent in its consolidated sales at Rs 6,692.7 crore in 2007 as compared to Rs 6,065.2 crore in the year 2006, the company said.

The earnings per share of the company on a fully-diluted basis were Rs 15.22 for the year 2007 as compared to Rs 13.17 in 2006.
Source : PTI