Despite the stagnant cement prices, improvement in productivity and cost reduction led to improved performance, the company said in a statement here. The company reported an operating profit per tonne of cement at Rs 861 as against Rs 624 per tonne in the corresponding period of last year.

The operating profit at Rs 103.03 crore ( Rs 72.95 crore), has showed a quantum jump of 41 per cent over the first quarter of last year. On the Bombay Stock Exchange, the GACL stock closed higher at Rs 575 on Wednesday.

During the first quarter the company sold 12 lakh tonnes ofcement as against 11.8 lakh in the first quarter of the previous year. The demand for cement has grown 21 per cent, the total consumption of cement during the first six months of the financial year stood at 4.43 crore tonnes as against 3.66 crore tonnes in the first half of last year.

Thomas Cook net up at Rs 3.35 cr

MUMBAI: Travel service company, Thomas Cook Ltd, has reported a marginal rise in net profit by one per cent to Rs 3.35 crore for the third quarter ended September 30, 1999 as against a net profit of Rs 3.32 crore recorded in the same period of last fiscal.

The turnover for the quarter dipped to Rs 16.80 crore as against Rs 17.86 crore recorded in second quarter last year. Total expenses dipped to Rs 10.41 crore from Rs 11.59 crore during the period.

Interest charges increased to Rs 1.9 crore from Rs 67 lakh during the second quarter. The other income for the company rose to Rs 87 lakh from Rs 46 lakh during the period. During the second quarter, the company's gross profit (afterinterest but before depreciation and taxation) stood at Rs 6.05 crore, as against a profit of Rs 6.04 crore last year.

For the entire nine-month period, Thomas Cook has posted marginal net profit at Rs 11.48 crore from Rs 11.42 crore.