Profits for Q4 up, but full-year FY13 slower

[SINGAPORE] Singapore-listed companies with December year-ends continued to report growth overall in last-quarter 2013, but profits slipped for the full year, according to preliminary data compiled by The Business Times.

As at 11pm on Feb 28, a total of 218 companies had reported a combined $8.04 billion in group profits for the three months to December. Only three of those companies did not have comparable year-ago results. Those with comparable numbers reported profit of $7.97 billion, up 6.5 per cent from the year-ago aggregate.

Companies that reported improved bottom lines outnumbered those that slowed down 135 to 80 during the quarter.