Mining giant BHP half-year net profit down 37%
Higher commodity prices helped global mining giant BHP report a first-half net profit of US$2.02 billion on Tuesday, but the result was weighed down by a hefty charge from US tax reforms.
The result for the six months to December 31 was 37 percent lower than the US$3.20 billion recorded in the previous corresponding period.
Underlying profit, a measure preferred by the world's largest miner, was US$4.05 billion, a 25-percent jump from the prior period but below analysts' expectations.