Fri 24 Jul 2009 | 9:43 GMT

　　UPDATE 1-Hulamin sees FY profit down at least 20 pct

　　Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:22am GMT

　　* Headline EPS plunges to 12 cents from 84 cents * No interim div, will consider FY payout * Order intake recovering after sharp fall (Adds details) JOHANNESBURG, July 22 (Reuters) - South Africa's Hulamin Ltd (HLMJ.J: Quote), which makes semi-fabricated aluminium, posted a sharp drop in interim profit and said that although order intake was recovering, annual earnings would fall by at least 20 percent. The company said in a statement on Wednesday headline earnings per share for the six months to end June fell to 12 cents from 84 cents, while operating profit slid by more than half to 114 million rand ($14.46 million) from 270 million rand. The company said order intake was starting to recover, but that poor demand in the first four months of the year meant it would report a decrease in annual earnings of at least 20 percent. Hulamin said it would not pay an interim dividend but will consider a full-year payout. (Reporting by Rebecca Harrison)

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