CK Hutchison reports 7% rise in full-year underlying profit (updated)

CK Hutchison Holdings

19/03/2026 09:14

(Adds more details from earnings statement)
       HONG KONG, March 19 (Reuters) - CK Hutchison  0001.HK 
posted a 7% rise in 2025 underlying profit on Thursday, as the
market awaits updates on the company's proposed sale of its
ports business and other spin-off plans.
    The Hong Kong ports-to-telecoms conglomerate reported
underlying profit of HK$22.3 billion ($2.85 billion) on a
post-IFRS 16 basis. That compared with an HK$22.9 billion LSEG
SmartEstimate and the HK$20.8 billion booked a year earlier.
    Including a one-time non-cash accounting loss, net profit
fell 31% from a year earlier to HK$11.84 billion.
    The conglomerate, owned by Hong Kong's richest man Li
Ka-shing, has been caught up in a diplomatic to-and-fro since
U.S. President Donald Trump objected to Chinese ownership of
ports along the globally strategic Panama Canal.
    Last year, the company agreed to the $23 billion sale of
dozens of ports worldwide, including two near the Panama Canal,
to a consortium led by U.S. asset manager BlackRock  BLK.N  and
Mediterranean Shipping Company.
    It later said it was in talks for the consortium to include
a "major strategic investor", which sources identified as
China's COSCO  1199.HK .
    The deal was further complicated this year after Panama's
government moved to unwind a concession agreement that gave
control of the two terminals to CK Hutchison unit Panama Ports
Company, which has since challenged the action. 
    Analysts said a sale would represent a significant strategy
shift as ports' contribution to earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation and amortisation would fall to 1% from 15%.
    CK Hutchison also derives a significant portion of profit
from infrastructure and telecommunications.
    Separately, CK Hutchison is considering listing its telecoms
business and retail unit A.S. Watson Group in London and Hong
Kong as early as the second and third quarter of 2026
respectively, Reuters previously reported.
($1 = 7.8360 Hong Kong dollars)

 (Reporting by Roushni Nair and Clare Jim; Editing by
Christopher Cushing and Jane Merriman)
 ((clare.jim@tr.com))