ASTRA'S PROFIT DOWN 4 PCT

Jakarta, Oct 30 (ANTARA) - Publicly-listed PT Astra Internasional Tbk (ASII) posted a net profit of Rp7.1 trillion in the first nine months of 2009, down 4 percent from the same period last year.

Income in the year ended September 2009 fell 4 percent to Rp70.6 trillion from Rp73.8 trillion a year earlier, ASII President Director Michael D Ruslim said in a press release on Friday.

The drop caused the company's operating profit to decline by 5 percent to Rp9.50 trillion from Rp9.96 trillion, he said.

The decline in the operating profit occurred in the company's agrobusiness and automotive business.

Car sales in the January-September 2009 period fell 28 percent to 337,000 units compared to a year earlier because of low demand particularly in the first and second quarters, he said.

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