Smith & Nephew PLC (LSE:SN) shares surged 14% after the company reported robust revenue and profit growth, and announced a $500 million share buyback to be launched in the second half of the year.
The medical technology group’s second-quarter revenue climbed 7.8% year-on-year to $1.55 billion, with all business units and regions outperforming the first quarter.
Advanced Wound Management led the rebound, contributing to first-half revenue growth of 4.7% to $2.96 billion.
Operating profit jumped 30.6% to $429 million, and the operating margin widened to 14.5%. Trading profit rose 11.2% to $523 million, with a margin of 17.7%.
Cash generation strengthened, with cash from operations up 54.3% to $568 million and free cash flow increasing to $244 million from $39 million a year earlier.
Earnings per share rose 36.6% to 33.5 cents, while the interim dividend was raised 4.2% to 15 cents per share. CEO Deepak Nath attributed the performance to recent product launches across knee, hip, robotics, and wound care, which drove three-quarters of growth.
Smith & Nephew maintained its full-year guidance, forecasting around 5% underlying revenue growth and a trading profit margin of 19-20%.
UBS in a note said: "The 5% trading profit beat combined with the positive news of a buyback should see the shares justifiably outperform today."
The shares rose 165p to 1,319p.