Cost containment, strategic procurement keep Iliad in black in H1

General and specialised building materials provider Iliad has lifted group earnings before interest and taxes to R59.2-million for the six months ended June 30, from R58.7-million in the first half of the prior year, realising upside from stringent cost control and strategic procurement, the company said on Tuesday. The group recorded earnings of 31.8c a share for the six months compared with earnings of 30.3c apiece for the comparable 2014 period, while headline earnings improved from 30c to 31.4c over the same period.