Info Edge Ltd, which owns Naukri.com, 99Acres, Jeevansathi.com, Shiksha.com, among others, has reported a net profit after tax of Rs 32.21 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2013, up from Rs 30.8 crore profit in the same quarter last year and marginally lower than the Rs 33.26 crore profit in the previous quarter (ending 30th September 2013). The net sales were at Rs 123.36 crore for the quarter, up from Rs 106.4 crore in the corresponding quarter last year and flat compared to Rs 123.5 crore in the previous quarter. Earnings per share for Info Edge were at Rs 2.95 for the quarter, up from Rs 2.82 in the same quarter last year and lower than the Rs 3.05 in the previous quarter. Operating EBITDA was 41.7 crore up by 18.9% YoY, while operating profit was Rs 24.7 crore, up 11% year on year. Info Edge leads the online recruitment business, with Naukri.com contributing for a majority of its topline, and as such, it is dependent on the state of the economy. Hiring, according to Naukri's JobSpeak Index, witnesses a 13% increase in Dec 2013 over Dec 2012, though it remained flat between November and December 2013. However, readers must bear in mind that the final quarter of the year is Naukri's best, with Q3 typically being flat due to the festive season (and a slump in hiring). During the quarter recruitment solutions grew by 10.8% while the real estate vertical grew by 39%. Ambarish Raghuvanshi, the CFO of the company, is…
