Noble Group posts 57% fall in 4Q net profit to $133m

Commodities firm Noble Group says it posted a 57% fall in net profit for the 4th quarter ending December as operating margins from its agriculture business dropped.

Noble, whose businesses range from cotton and sugar to coal and iron ore, earned US$105.7 million ($132.6 million) in the three months endedDecember, down from US$247.5 million a year ago.

The 4Q results were, however, an improvement over the July-September period when Noble posted its first quarterly loss as a listed company.