(21 March 2017, HK) the world's fourth largest and China's top ranked payment solutions provider Goldpac Group Limited ("Goldpac" or the "Group", stock code: 03315.HK) today released its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2016.
 
As the financial industry gradually returned to a more orderly pattern of development, the Group's performance took a favorable turn and the year on year gap in turnover and net profit narrowed progressively towards the second half of 2016. The Group's turnover and net profit for the year ended 31 December 2106 amounted to RMB 1,394 million (-17.3% YOY) and RMB205 million (-15.3% YOY). The earnings per share for the year 2016 amounted to RMB 24.6 cents, maintaining a key performance advantage above that of its peers in the industry.
 
The Group retains its strong, continuous profitability and generous dividend policy over the last few years. Since its IPO in 2013, the Group has achieved an aggregate net profit of RMB801 million and distributed dividends of over RMB 200 million in aggregate. In 2016, the Group further improved its profit margin, through its growing innovative products business and improvements to its product portfolio as well as operational cost reductions attributed to operation process digitization and intellectualization. The gross profit margin and net profit margin were 30.1% and 14.7%, representing an increase of 3.7 percentage points and 0.3 percentage points respectively compared to 2015. The Board proposed to declare a final dividend of HK 7 cents and a special dividend of HK 6 cents per ordinary share, therefore the full year dividends per share will be 13.3% greater than that of 2015. If the proposal is approved by the shareholders of the Company at the forthcoming annual general meeting, the aggregate dividend paid since its IPO would be HK 46.8 cents per ordinary share.
 
Over the past 20 years, the Group has built a healthy financial position and adequate cash flow. The funds available at 31 December 2016 was recorded at RMB 1.76 billion. This healthy financial position ensures that there is lower risk of exposure for the Group and will help the Group to fully tap into potential markets and to boost the Group's profit growth and sustainable development.