Brands
Dolby declares improved q-o-q results for Q2-2015
BENGALURU: Audio equipment maker Dolby Laboratories Inc (Dolby) reported a 16 per cent quarter on quarter (q-o-q) growth in revenue for the quarter ended 27 March, 2015 (Q2-2015, current quarter) to US$ 271.95 million as compared to the US$ 234.24 million reported for the immediate trailing quarter. However, y-o-y, revenue fell 2 per cent from the US$ 278.59 million reported for Q2-2015. The company says that total revenue for Q2-2014 included a back payment settlement of US$ 24.7 million, which did not repeat in Q2- 2015.
“We had another solid quarter driven by growth in our broadcast business,” said Dolby Laboratories president and CEO Kevin Yeaman. “In addition, we saw significant progress with our new initiatives as AMC Theatres and Disney announced their support for Dolby Cinema and Vizio announced the first Dolby Vision TV.”
Revenue
Three streams add to the company’s revenue – Licensing, products and services, with licensing contributing the lion’s share. Q-o-q licensing revenue increased 4 per cent to US$ 243.33 million in Q2-2015 as compared to the US$ 216.6 million in Q1-2015, but was 6 percent less than the US$ 258.62 million reported for Q2-2015.
A major chunk of licensing revenue comes from broadcast licensing (42 per cent in Q2-2015, 41 per cent in Q1-2015 and 46 per cent in Q2-2014). PC licensing, Consumer Electronics licensing, mobile licensing and other licensing are the other contributors to licensing revenue. Mobile licensing in Q2-2014 contributed just 11 per cent to licensing revenue, as compared to 16 per cent in the previous quarter and the corresponding year ago quarter.
Products revenue for Q2-2015 was US$ 22.99 million, for Q1-2015 it was US$ 13.26 million and for Q2-2014 it was 14.56 million. Services revenue for Q2-2015 was US$ 5.63 million, for Q1-2015, it was US$ 4.38 million and for Q2-2014, it was US$ 5.41 million.
Income
Q2-2015 GAAP net income was US$ 58.0 million, or US$ 0.56 per diluted share, compared to US$ 75.9 million, or US$ 0.73 per diluted share, for Q2-2014. On a non-GAAP basis, Q2-2015 net income was US$ 74.9 million, or US$ 0.72 per diluted share, compared to US$ 91.7 million, or US$ 0.88 per diluted share, for Q2-2014.
Dividend
Dolby today announced a cash dividend of US$ 0.10 per share of Class A and Class B common stock, payable on May 12, 2015, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 4, 2015.
Company forecast
For Q3-2015, Dolby estimates that total revenue will range from US$230 million to US$240 million. Gross margin percentages are projected to range between approximately 89 percent and 90 percent on a GAAP basis and between 90 percent and 91 percent on a non-GAAP basis.
For FY-2015, Dolby anticipates that total revenue will range from US$ 970 million to US$ 1 billion.
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
