BAE Systems posts improving annual profits
BAE Systems, the British maker of military equipment, announced on 21 February 2019 that annual net profit jumped by a fifth, despite a slowdown in demand for Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
Profit after tax rallied 21 percent to £1.0 billion ($1.3 billion) in 2018 compared with a year earlier. The group's earnings performance improved partly due to a lack of exceptional charges - but it cautioned over geopolitical turmoil. Turnover meanwhile was steady at £18.4 billion.
‘The group made good progress in strengthening the outlook and geographic base of the business, with a number of significant contract wins,’ said CEO Charles Woodburn. ‘Delivering a strong operational performance and continued investment will enable us to meet our growth expectations and underpin the long term.’
BAE's share price however fell 5.7% to 475.60 pence in early deals on London's benchmark FTSE 100 index, which was 0.7 lower overall.
‘On the surface, BAE Systems was feeling positive,’ said Spreadex analyst Connor Campbell. ‘However, it undermined all that by reminding investors it is 'subject to geopolitical uncertainties', the kind that could scupper its forecasts.’
More from Defence Notes
-
![Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft]()
Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft
The procurement and acceleration production plans – some of which still await approval – across the air and land domains will aim to strengthen the operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces.
-
![Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts]()
Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts
More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.
-
![US Africa Command targets logistic solutions]()
US Africa Command targets logistic solutions
AFRICOM is seeking IT systems and supply chain management solutions to enhance interoperability and standardise logistical processes in its area of responsibility.
-
![Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending]()
Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending
Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.
-
![Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave]()
Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave
Vehicle and technology companies are reporting substantial growth compared to the first half of 2024. Italy’s Fincantieri saw revenues jump 24% for the first half of the year compared to 2024 and Thales up 6.8% for the same period. General Dynamics reported second quarter revenue growth of 8.9% for the second quarter compared to last year and MilDef reported organic order intake growth of 58%.
