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Childcare giant ABC Learning Centres is expecting to boost margins this year with Australian fees set to rise 4 per cent, according to analysts.
Brisbane-based ABC, which controls more than 2200 centres worldwide, is also reportedly trying to get more parents to put children into centres on "weaker" Mondays.
The remarks were contained in a note this week distributed among ABN Amro Morgans brokers after ABC spoke at a "Queensland Institutional Conference".
ABC declined to comment yesterday on those remarks, which were attributed to chief executive officer Eddy Groves.
Last month, ABC posted a 29 per cent rise in full-year earnings per share to 36¢ and eased concerns from some investors about growth in the critical US market. Profits rose 76 per cent as ABC expanded and bought rivals.
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A fee lift would mirror ABC's increase this year of 4 per cent, although it argued most parents saw lower out-of-pocket fees because a government rebate rose 13 per cent.
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- reprinted from the Courier Mail