Austal Climbs on Strong H1 Profit

Shipbuilder Austal Ltd shares have risen as much as 4.5 percent to A$1.85, its highest since February 1.

The company's H1 net profit after tax has surged 174 percent, driven by strong performance in shipbuilding programs for U.S. Navy.

Over 900,000 shares have changed hands, compared with the 30-day average of 229,350 shares

The stock is among top percent gainers on the ASX All Ordinaries Index.