Top Glove Profit Soars On Pandemic Demand But Ban Crimps Us Sales

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Top Glove Corporation Bhd reported on Wednesday a 485 percent jump in third-quarter net profit as the Covid-19 pandemic drove strong demand for gloves.
The world's largest medical glove manufacturer posted record profits for the prior four straight quarters, bolstered by people using more gloves due to increased hygiene awareness.
In a stock exchange filing, the firm said net profit for the March-May period jumped to RM2.04 billion from RM347.9 million a year ago. UBS forecast a profit of RM2.54 billion, according to Refinitiv data.
Its revenue rose 147 percent to RM4.16 billion from RM1.69 billion.
Top Glove shares, which are suspended prior to its earnings announcement, rose 0.2 percent on Wednesday. They have slumped nearly 22 percent this year.
Top Glove, which produces 100 billion pieces of gloves a year, said average selling prices, which peaked in February, declined during the period and it made adjustments in line with glove market pricing trends.
It also said compared to the preceding quarter, its sales volume eased mainly due to a reduction in sales to the United States, following a temporary halt in US shipments from Malaysia due to a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) import ban.
"Nonetheless, global glove demand remains resilient as glove usage continues to rise, driven by the ongoing pandemic," it said.
US Customs prohibited the import of Top Glove products last July, citing evidence of forced labour practices at the company's production facilities across Malaysia.
CBP subsequently instructed US ports to seize the firm's goods.
The manufacturer has been working to resolve the CBP ban.
Top Glove said in April it resolved all indicators of forced labour in its operations and that this was verified by London-based ethical trade consultant Impactt Limited.
The US action has stalled Top Glove's pursuit of a $1 billion listing in Hong Kong, as potential investors raised concerns about the impact.
Top Glove has said it remained committed to the listing.
- Reuters

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