Company reports

Regional Container Lines' quarterly income rose to Bt688.3 million from Bt629.4 million. Revenue rose on higher demand for sea shipment, but the net profit was pulled down due to the appreciation of the Thai baht against US dollar as well as higher fuel costs.

BANGKOK DUSIT MEDICAL SERVICES showed a sharp increase in quarterly net profit from Bt123 million last year to Bt339.4 million thanks to the higher number of in-patients. Despite higher medical services costs, revenue grew on higher gross profit from 42 per cent last year to 44 per cent.

G Steel's quarter earnings rose 117 per cent from Bt227 million to Bt492 million, due chiefly to the average sale price increase of 46 per cent year on year.

Thainox Stainless enjoyed a higher quarterly net profit of Bt311.75 million due to higher product prices. In the same period last year, its net profit was Bt85 million.

Thai Rung Union Car showed quarterly net profit of Bt19.8 million, from a net loss of Bt1.6 million, despite the slowdown in the domestic auto industry.

Phatra Leasing's quarterly profit rose from Bt42 million last year to Bt73.9 million.

Thaicom showed consolidated net profit of Bt54 million in the first half, when its foreign-exchange loss amounted to Bt1 million. The company's debt-to-equity ratio decreased from 0.59, as of the end of 2007, to 0.55.

TT&T posted a bigger quarterly net loss at Bt1 billion, from Bt444 million last year.

Thai Capital Corporation's board of directors approved the company's plan to terminate the loss-making air-conditioner manufacturing business. It will sell all equipment - worth Bt53.66 million - to an outsider and expects to spend Bt14.5 million as compensation to workers. The transaction is expected to be completed in October.

 Thai Capital will now focus on its coal business, the new area it has penetrated since early this year.

Solartron returned to net profit of Bt16.5 million in the second quarter, compared with Bt42 million loss in the same period last year, thanks to the exports of its solar cells. The company reported higher sales costs, as raw material prices rose in tandem with fuel prices. Sale costs accounted for 87 per cent of sales revenue, compared to 80 per cent last year.

Safari World's quarterly net profit shrank from Bt113 million last year to Bt46.38 million.

Ramkhamhaeng Hospital's quarterly net profit rose from Bt62.4 million to Bt92 million.

Seafresh's quarterly net profit dropped to Bt6.71 million, due to a 23-per-cent decline in sales revenue as well as a sharp cut in the gross profit margin. The economic slowdown pulled down the company's dollar-denominated sales revenue by 16 per cent, while the Thai baht appreciated 7 per cent against the US dollar compared to the same period last year.

Hemaraj Land and Development's first-half revenue rose 12 per cent on year to Bt2.7 billion, due mainly to higher income from the sale of industrial land. Land sales revenue reached Bt1.49 billion, and the company expects to realise another Bt1.2 billion in the next 6-18 months. Its six-month net profit grew 62 per cent on year to Bt876 million.