Penta increased its net profit by 29% to record €621m

The Penta investment group (Jaroslav Haščák and Marek Dospiva) increased its net profit by 29% to a record €621m last year. Its return on equity climbed to 16.1%. Portfolio companies' revenues rose 18% to €10.9bn, but their investments halved to €651m. The improvement was mainly driven by the Dr. Max pharmacy chain, which became No.2 in Europe, with more than 3,000 branches. Betting agency Fortuna, Penta Hospitals, banks and real estate projects followed in profit generation. Penta's media portfolio in Slovakia and Czechia reported €20m EBITDA. The Slovalco aluminum smelter remains closed. Last year Penta made acquisitions mainly in healthcare and real estate. Penta also launched a fund for external investors. In the next five years, it plans to invest €2bn in acquisitions and the development of its existing portfolio.

(forbes.sk, trend.sk)