Australian diversified investor SGH hits record high on consensus-beating results

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Shares of Australia's SGH SGH.AX jumped to a record high on Tuesday after the diversified investor hiked its dividend and reported first-half earnings ahead of consensus, helped by a strong contribution from building products maker Boral.

SGH shares were trading 5.9% higher at A$51.52, as of 0030 GMT, just over a dollar short of their all-time high of A$53.250 scaled in early trade.

The stock was among the top 10 gainers in the ASX200 benchmark .AXJO and on track for its biggest one-day percentage gain since August 14 last year.

SGH, formerly known as Seven Group Holdings, is controlled by the billionaire Stokes family and owns businesses from heavy machinery equipment dealers to media firm Seven West Media SWM.AX.

It declared a dividend of 30 Australian cents per share, ahead of a Visible Alpha consensus of 27.46 cents and last year's 23 cents.

Its first-half net income attributable came in at A$523.5 million ($328.29 million), a whopping 177% rise from last year, and ahead of the consensus of A$482.7 million.

On an underlying basis, net income rose 7% to A$508 million, beating the consensus of A$482.7 million.

That was possible because of a 29% growth in Boral's operating earnings to A$259 million. SGH completed the acquisition of Boral earlier in the reporting period.

"We continue to see solid customer demand across our core sector exposures of industrials and energy," said CEO Ryan Stokes.

Seven West Media, in which SGH holds a 40.2% stake, reported a 41% decline in first-half underlying net profit after tax to A$37 million. The stock was last trading 4.6% higher at A$0.1725.

($1 = 1.5946 Australian dollars)