Business

Half-year profit of $A6.5b reported by BHP

06:02 am on 11 February 2010

BHP Billiton has reported an after-tax cash profit of $A6.5 billion for the six months to the end of December.

The result easily beat market expectations of a $A5.8 billion profit, but represents a fall of 7% compared to the same period a year earlier.

The world's biggest mining company says its earnings were hit by weaker iron ore and coal contract prices which were set last year, when demand slumped.