Q3 corporate profits rise on strong banking, commodity sector performance

THE banking and commodity sectors led Singapore-listed companies to a stronger set of earnings for the quarter ended September.

Of the 134 Singapore-listed companies that released their quarterly financial results as at Dec 1, 81 companies were in the black and 53 in the red. Total earnings rose 45.6 per cent to S$8.5 billion.

Of the 76 companies that posted improved bottom lines, 15 swung into profitability. This outnumbered the 58 companies that posted poorer results, including 14 that slid into loss-making territory.