Profit at industrial materials and services group BOC, before tax and excluding exceptional items, was US$ 664.7 million for the year and US$ 178.2 million for the fiscal fourth quarter. Compared with…
Profit at industrial materials and services group BOC, before tax and excluding exceptional items, was US$ 664.7 million for the year and US$ 178.2 million for the fiscal fourth quarter. Compared with the same periods a year earlier and excluding currency translation effects, these represented increases of 11% and 4% respectively. The corresponding increases in earnings per share were 11% and 7%. Group turnover was up 15% on a constant currency basis for the year and up 11% for the fiscal fourth quarter. Turnover of BOC“s worldwide gases operations improved 11% for the year and 8% for the fourth quarter compared with the previous 12-month period. Gases operating profit was up 8% for the year and up 3% for the fourth quarter. Year-on-year comparisons include profit on asset disposals in Japan and a charge resulting from the early adoption of a revision to a UK accounting standard.