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International Business News
Holcim cuts growth targets as net profit falls
AFP, Zurich
Swiss cement group Holcim on Thursday posted a sharp drop in net profit and cut its growth targets for this year, as higher energy prices and the slowing global economy impact on sales.
It said its group net profit fell 53.2 percent to 1.338 billion Swiss francs (1.2 billion dollars, 826 million euros) while net profit attributable to shareholders fell 56 percent to 1.066 billion francs.
But the cement - maker said the comparison was skewed as last year’s profit figure was inflated by the sale of a South African subsidiary'.
Sales fell 4.4 percent to 12.43 billion francs, underlining the impact of rising energy prices on manufacturing costs.
The group said its long term target was to achieve an annual growth of 5 percent on its operating pre-tax earnings, but it now expected in 2008 to only match its 2007 results.
“The cement industry, with its energy-intensive production process, is feeling the impact of the rapid increase in the price of thermal and electrical power sources very directly," said Holcim.
At the same time, it has found it difficult to pass on energy costs as the price inflation was coupled by a slowdown in key markets.
Australia's Qantas reports record profit despite woes
AFP, Sydney
Australia’s national airline Qantas reported Thursday a 44 percent increase in annual net profit to a record 969 million dollars (842.6 million US) despite high fuel prices and other woes.
Qantas said revenue for the year ended June 30 rose 7.5 percent to 16.19 billion dollars after it carried 38.6 million passengers, up 6.0 percent
The airline recorded a 46 percent increase in profit before tax to 1.41 billion dollars, ahead of its forecast of at least 40 percent growth.
The profit result comes after the airline said in July that it would slash 1,500 jobs worldwide in a bid to combat rising oil prices and challenging market conditions.
The carrier also cancelled plans to hire 1,200 new staff and increase its capacity by eight percent in 2008-2009, and announced it would retire up to 22 older aircraft from its fleet.
Chairman Leigh Clifford said that after an excellent performance across all segments for the first three quarters, the business was starting to see the effects of a slowing economy and rising fuel prices.
“We have benefited from a strong revenue environment, which was supported by major investments in customer service and product. The result was further underpinned by sustained efforts to improve efficiency. ' he said.
Philippines lowers economic growth target: minister
AFP, Manila
The Philippine government has lowered its economic growth target for 2008 in the face of rising inflation, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto saidThursday.
The projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth for this year has been brought down to 5.5 to 6.4 percent from the original target of 5.7 to 6.6 percent, said Recto.
Recto said it was likely that GDP growth in the second quarter of the year would be less than 5.2 percent compared to 5.2 percent growth in the first quarter.
The Philippine economy grew by 7.2 percent in 2007, which was the highest figure in decades.
However the inflation rate has been steadily rising, hitting 12.2 percent in July, the highest in 17 years.
The Philippines, which is one of the world's largest rice importers and which imports virtually all of its oil, has been hit hard by the rising global prices of food and fuel.
AirAsia X to fly to Britain next March: Fernandes
AFP, Kuala Lumpur
Budget carrier AirAsia X said Thursday it plans to fly to Britain in March with London's Stansted airport the likely destination, and that high fuel prices will not deter its expansion plans.
'Definitely it is going to happen and I am optimistic that it will happen in March," said Tony Fernandes, AirAsia X director and founder of Southeast Asia's largest budget carrier, AirAsia.
The Malaysia-based long-haul budget carrier had planned to launch flights to Britain in December but difficulties in securing a leased airplane forced it to postpone.
It currently operates with one leased A330-300 with flights to Australia's Gold Coast and Hangzhou in China. It is scheduled to fly to Perth and Melbourne in November.
Fernandes said AirAsia X favoured Stansted, on the outskirts of London, but would finalise its plans in September when it meets with officials from Stansted as well as Manchester airport, which is its other option.
He said the carrier would use a leased A340-300 to mount a direct flight from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, which will act as a hub for other regional destinations in the AirAsia network.
“From Stansted there would be people who will fly to Malaysia and from Malaysia to anywhere else in Southeast Asia or Australia,"