Centurion Club: SOFTWARE & IT SERVICES + TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT
Last year, Azeus Systems was the sole Centurion winner for returns to shareholders, spurring it to greater heights instead of resting on its laurels. This year, Azeus Systems Holdings BBW is the big winner in this sector. Not only did it top the same category, it also topped the weighted return on equity (ROE) category to emerge the overall winner.
Azeus Systems is a leading IT services provider with more than 30 years of experience in successfully delivering IT solutions. The company was founded by executive chairman Lee Wan Lik, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Besides Lee, CEO Michael Yap also brings with him extensive and varied experience in the IT field. Yap, a former CEO of Singapore’s Media Development Authority, joined the company’s board in 2004 as an independent director and was then designated as an executive director and deputy chairman in April 2020 before assuming the CEO role in March 2022.
Throughout the years, the company, which was listed on the Singapore Exchange S68 in October 2004, has built up a client roster from Europe, Asia Pacific, America, Africa and the Middle East. Leveraging its integrated operations model, Azeus Systems has built an extensive track record of developing large and complex IT systems for the public and private sectors.
To date, the company has delivered 250 IT projects to over 60 government departments and public authorities in Asia and Europe. The software it developed has also achieved an international customer base spanning over 100 countries in both the public and commercial sectors, giving Azeus Systems extensive expertise and experience in software applications and product development, integration, and support and maintenance.
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In the most recent FY2024 ended March, the company reported record earnings of HK$85 million ($14.48 million), a surge of 68% y-o-y over FY2023. Revenue was up 30% to HK$328.9 million. To reward shareholders, Azeus Systems declared a final dividend of HK$1.9 per share, which represents a payout ratio of 99%.
Executive chairman Lee says he is pleased with the growth, driven by increased sales globally as the company expanded into more territories and added new product features and modules.
Yap says: “We will continue to invest in expanding our geographical footprints and in R&D of new product offerings and innovations. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the group is cautiously optimistic about our outlook for continued growth in FY2025.”
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Within this same industry sector, Aztech Global 8AZ has been named tops for growth in profit after tax. The company provides a range of manufacturing services for customers in consumer electronics, with a focus on internet of thing products.
For its most recent FY2023 ended December, Aztech Global achieved several records. Its revenue hit a new high of $896.3 million, up 9.3% over FY2022. Earnings were up 48.8% y-o-y to $100 million.
Shareholders were rewarded with a total dividend of 8 cents for FY2023. During the year, the company put to use its new production capacity in Malaysia and it won new customers from new product segments such as baby monitoring devices and healthtech wearables. It is targeting the pre-school market with its development of surveillance equipment.
