Australian rail and ports operator Asciano Ltd reported an 18.7% rise in first half net profit on the back of increased earnings from its Queensland coal haulage operations.

Asciano said net profit for the six months ending December 31 was AUD 93.9 million. This compares to analyst forecasts of around AUD 112 million.

Asciano earlier this month appointed former DHL Express chief John Mullen as its new chief executive, dumping founding boss Mark Rowsthorn.

(Sourced from Reuters)