Global packaging giant Amcor’s half-yearly results have been described as ‘outstanding’ by managing director and CEO Ron Delia, despite a slight slump in profit after tax.

Amcor’s six month sales revenue until 31 December 2015 fell 5.4 per cent to US $4.54m from the previous year’s $4.80m. Its profit after tax was recorded as $305m, a small decline from $321m in December 2014.

Delia, however, says this period still garnered ‘outstanding results’ and the results reflect Amcor’s ‘strong position’ in the market. Delia attests Amcor’s financial muscle to the company’s recent takeovers and plans to continue its worldwide acquisition path in 2016.

[Related: Amcor acquisitions driving profit]

The packaging outfit expects far higher earnings for the full financial year, according to Delia, and says Amcor’s ‘resilience’ keeps the company strong on the paper and packaging world stage.

He blames ‘transitional impact’ for the profit drop following Amcor’s heavy global acquisition trail, which includes the takeover of US companies Encon Plastics in October last year, and Deluxe Packaging last month, and the acquisition of South African outfit Nampak Flexibles last March.

The company also had shareholder growth of 14 per cent for this period, and Delia says ‘solid cash flow’ enabled dividends of AUD 27.6 cents. 

Delia says the Australian and New Zealand market makes up six per cent of Amcor’s total global sales, and the rigid plastics sector was the biggest category for growth in all of the company’s markets.

According to the CEO, market growth for this six month period has been the strongest since the global financial crisis (GFC).

Amcor has 190 locations in over 40 different countries, and is worth upwards of US$10bn.

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