John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) reported group EBITDA of Rs.80.01 billion for the financial year ended March 2026, up 75% from the prior year, as long-running capital investments began translating into operating contribution.
Group recurring EBITDA rose 71% to Rs.78.05 billion, from Rs.45.69 billion a year earlier. Recurring profit before tax climbed 143% to Rs.35.72 billion, and recurring profit attributable to equity holders of the parent rose 155% to Rs.13.24 billion. The growth was led by Retail, Transportation and Leisure.
Chairperson Krishan Balendra told shareholders the conglomerate had “crossed an inflection point of moving from capital deployment to cash generation” after several years of heavy spending. “Our major investments are still ramping up with potential for significant growth,” he added in the FY26 review.
The City of Dreams Sri Lanka integrated resort recorded positive EBITDA for the full year following completion of remaining components, with casino operations picking up from the fourth quarter. Colombo West International Terminal (WCT-1), the Adani-JKH deepwater container terminal, posted a profit after tax ahead of expectations and reached full utilisation of phase one capacity. John Keells CG Auto had an exceptional year on pent-up demand for BYD electric vehicles.
The Supermarket business recorded roughly 14% same-store sales growth on a 14.3% increase in footfall. Leisure registered significant EBITDA growth across all segments.
Net debt to EBITDA stood at approximately two times and net debt to equity at around 31%, with overall funding requirements falling materially as the investment phase wound down. The board declared a final interim dividend of 10 cents per share payable on or before 24 June, taking the FY26 total to 30 cents per share — double the 15 cents paid in FY25.
The results land days after the IMF Executive Board cleared a combined US$695 million review for Sri Lanka, an endorsement of the macroeconomic backdrop underpinning corporate earnings.
