Briscoe fends off margin squeeze as sales growth underpins 3.2% FY profit gain

Briscoe fends off margin squeeze as sales growth underpins 3.2% FY profit gain
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth March 12 (BusinessDesk) - Briscoe Group coped with a margin squeeze in the latest financial year to deliver a new record profit as sales growth continued to underpin earnings.  Net profit rose to $61.3 million, or 27.3 cents per share, in the 52 weeks ended Jan. 28, from $59.4 million, or 26.5 cents, a year earlier, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. Sales rose 3.5 percent to $603.1 million, offsetting a contraction in gross margin to 40.49 percent from 41.07 percent a year earlier.  The company's profit "wa...