Utility investment firm Spark Infrastructure Group (ASX: SKI) said on Monday that its first half profit for the current year suffered a retreat of almost 20 percent but the decline could be easily reversed as the company projects firm movements on its electricity distribution operations this year.

The utility group said that net profit for the past six months leading to end of June reached $53.64 million, sliding by as much as 19.6 percent from the previous corresponding period.

However, Spark said that its underlying net profit surged by 23.5 percent to $55.645 million in the same period while the company's overall income inched a bit by one percent to $145.87 million, with its operating cash flow dipping by 54.4 percent to $43.968 million.

Also, the utility group reported that solid turnovers by its three electricity distribution businesses, ETSA Utilities, CitiPower and Powercor Australia, delivered a strong underlying first half result of $150.2 million.

Spark said that the asset companies have been consistent in achieving steady growth on their regulated electricity distribution revenues and "have maintained a steady flow of non-prescribed revenues in their respective businesses."

It added that with the onset of new regulatory period for ETSA Utilities and with fresh regulatory mandates already underway for both CitiPower and Powercor, "the portfolio of Asset Companies is approaching the point in the regulatory cycle which offers the greatest degree of certainty."

At present, Spark said that it is holding surplus cash reserves amounting to $87.7 million, which includes funding of capital expenditures of the three asset companies that could grow by two-fold come the next regulatory period.

From the results, Spark said that it would issue a first half distribution of 6.72 cents per share, unfranked, and in line with the previous corresponding period.