Jurong Technology Industrial Corp News

SembCorp Marine Ltd. (SCM), Singapore's largest ship repairer, posted a small rise in its 2000 net profit, in line with market expectations. SCM, 63 percent owned by conglomerate SembCorp Industries Ltd. with a market value of about S$1.1 billion, said last year's net profit was S$80.16 million, up 2.3 percent from 1999. Its bottom line was boosted by a one time gain of S$6.5 million from the sale of shares in Jurong Technology Industrial Corp. early last year and a writeback of tax over provisions of S$4.7 million. Analysts have a consensus 2000 forecast of S$81.5 million, according to Multex Global Estimates. The forecasts ranged from a low of S$71.5 million to a high of S$86.8 million.

SembCorp Marine, Singapore's largest ship repairer, is expected to post a modest rise in 2000 earnings, boosted mainly by gains from divestment of a small technology company. SembCorp Marine, a unit of government-linked SembCorp Industries with a market value of about S$1.1 billion ($630 million), is due to report its earnings on Tuesday. Analysts said they expected SembCorp Marine to fare much better than its smaller rival Keppel Hitachi, which reported a 50 percent slide in 2000 earnings due to a weak ship repair market. "SembCorp Marine has a lot more long-term contracts with customers like NOL (Neptune Orient Lines), so that has helped them," said an analyst at Kim Eng Securities. The analyst is forecasting a four percent rise in net profit to S$82.1 million from S$79 million in 1999.