COMALCO SAYS LOWER COSTS HELPED RETURN TO PROFITS
Comalco Ltd <CMAC.S> said its return
to profit reflected reduced costs, improved primary aluminium
prices and its withdrawal from a Japanese smelter venture.
    It said the earlier reported 57.1 mln dlr profit for the
year ended December 31 against a 69.13 mln dlr loss in 1985 was
also aided by lower interest rates on U.S. Dollar debt and
greater sales of bauxite and aluminium.
    Comalco said it expected to pay at least a four cents per
share final, dividend delayed until July 1 to take advantage of
proposed dividend imputation laws.
    This would make five cents for the year against a first and
final of one cent in 1985.
    Comalco said the aluminium industry continued to suffer
from low prices and excess capacity, though the weak Australian
dollar had helped earnings.
    Withdrawal from the <Showa Aluminium Industries KK> joint
venture had been recapitalised in expansion by the <New Zealand
Aluminium Smelters Ltd> project with Japan's <Sumitomo
Aluminium Smelting Co Ltd>, permitting repayments and increases
in liquid funds totalling 165 mln dlrs, it said.
    As previously reported Comalco's <Commonwealth Aluminium
Corp> unit has conditionally agreed to sell its smelter at
Goldendale, Washington, and port facilities at Portland, Oregon
to <Columbia Aluminium Corp>.
    Comalco said it had made a 27.3 mln dlr extraordinary
provision for Goldendale losses and closure costs but that if
the sales agreement were completed it would reduce the
provision made in the 1986 accounts.
    The other items in the total extraordinary loss of 140.5
mln dlrs were a 102.9 mln write-off of unrealised exchange
losses and 10.3 mln for an increase in future tax provision.
 REUTER
