HONG KONG, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Shares of Esprit Holdings Ltd jumped nearly 12 percent to the highest in five months after the Europe-focused fashion group posted forecast-beating earnings for the fiscal first half, and said it was on track to restore long-term profitability.

The stock rose to HK$15.90 on Thursday afternoon, the highest since Sept. 15, compared with a 0.76 percent fall by the benchmark Hang Seng Index.

Europe-focused retailer Esprit posted a 74 percent drop in first-half net profit on Thursday, although the result came in well ahead of forecasts, as the deepening European debt crisis sapped demand. (Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Chris Lewis)

2012-02-23 07:48:23




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