Aristocrat Leisure (ALL) lifted final dividend by one cent to 9 cents a share at the end of a year where earnings rebounded strongly.
The increase brings total distribution for the year to 17 cents a share, one cent more than 2014’s 16 cents and despite a 79% jump in underling profit to $236.1 million.
The strong result saw Aristocrat shares jump more than 4% in early trading to hit a seven year high of $9.95, giving the gambling company a market value of $6.3 billion.
But they then eased to end the day in the red – 0.1% at $9.53.
That still left them up more than 40% for the year so far.
ALL 1Y – Aristocrat back in the black
Aristocrat said its $US1.3 billion ($A1.8 billion) 2014 deal to buy US group Video Gaming Technologies had lifted the performance in the Americas unit which drove much of the lift in profits for the year ending September 30.
VGT concentrates on what are known as Class II gaming machines. These are based on a bingo-type of game, as opposed to standard gaming machines, which are based on number generators.
Revenue jumped 89% on the prior corresponding period to $1.6 billion, driven by income from its October purchase of the US company.
Managing director Jamie Odell said in a statement that Aristocrat had further extended its trajectory of consistent profit growth after being weighed down by a write-down in the value of its Japanese business and disposal of its non-core lotteries interests in 2014.
"The growth in the group’s recurring revenue base and strong cash flows provide the business with the capacity to consider additional organic and inorganic investments over the coming period, consistent with our strategy and shareholders’ interests," Mr Odell said in the statement.
Mr Odell said Aristocrat had managed to exit "distracting business" and increase its focus on digital operations.
Mr Odell added that the percentage of revenue derived from recurring sources had grown to more than 45% in 2015, up from less than 24% in 2014.
Aristocrat said its Australian performance was also ahead of expectations with sales of poker machines up by 43% to 10,437 units in the year as it took sales from rivals such as Ainsworth Game Technology and IGT.
