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[September 2002]
Upturn in BASF Sales Continues
The moderate upturn in business experienced by BASF AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany) in March continued in the second quarter and was supported by good volume demand in particular. At 8.4 billion euro, sales were up slightly compared with the same period in 2001.Compared with the same period in 2001, the company regained ground in terms of cumulative sales, which amounted to 16.6 billion euro in the first half of 2002.
At 822 million euro, EBIT before special items was almost 10% higher than in the second quarter of 2001. In the first half of the year, EBIT before special items was 1.64 billion euro, 73 million euro less than in the first half of 2001.
Earnings per share were 0.86 euro in Q2 2002 compared with 0.02 euro in Q2 2001. This also reflected the much lower level of special items in Q2 2002.
The strongest improvement in earnings was seen in the company's Chemicals, Plastics & Fibers and Performance Products segments.
ENDS