Seven released its full-year results on Thursday morning, which included a 55 per cent rise in operating cash flow to $1.57 billion from a group of businesses as diverse as the Seven television network, building products group Boral and equipment hire firm Coates.

Loading

The mining, infrastructure and construction sectors helped drive the result, which beat market expectations with a 20 per cent lift in revenue to $9.63 billion. The group declared a fully franked final dividend of 23c a share.

Analysts welcomed Seven’s stronger-than-expected forecast for high single-digit growth in full-year earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), which sent its stock up 3.2 per cent to a record high of $27.16.

“The core industrial businesses continued to outperform expectations, and guidance for high single to low double-digit [growth for the current financial year] is ahead of our current forecasts,” said Macquarie analysts Mitchell Sonogan and Sophia Owad in a note to clients.

UBS said the result beat both market estimates and the company’s own forecasts, and the outlook was also ahead of expectations thanks to the strong outlook for industrial services.

“Growth is supported by the ageing mining fleet thematics and bulk commodity production at Westrac. Coates and Boral will continue to be supported by strong infrastructure and construction investment,” said the UBS team led by Nathan Reilly.

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.