Saudi retailer Fawaz Alhokair Q3 net profits fall 14.2 pct

Saudi Arabian retailer Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co reported a 14.2 percent fall in third-quarter net profit on Thursday.

The company made a net profit of 91.2 million riyals ($24.3 million) in the three months to Dec. 31, down from 106.2 million riyals in the year-earlier period, according to a bourse filing. Alhokair's financial year starts on Apr. 1.

Analysts at NCB Capital and Aljazira Capital expected the company to make a quarterly profit of 130 million riyals and 124.3 million riyals respectively..

Alhokair, which owns franchise rights for brands including Mango, Zara and Banana Republic in the Middle East, said its quarterly profit fall was due to a drop in profits from international operations because of a fall in the euro impacting profits in Spain and currency devaluations in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan hurting business in those countries.

It also cited a seasonal impact from the fact the same quarter last year included sales from part of the Haj religious season.

$1 = 3.7525 riyals