Alstom net profit up 36 percent in first half

PARIS - Alstom SA, the French transport and heavy engineering firm, said its net profit rose 36 percent in the first half of the year thanks to higher margins from building and servicing power plants.

Alstom reported net profit of 527 million euros ($678 million) for the April to September quarter, up from 388 million euros ($499 million) a year earlier, as higher sales and better contract terms helped lift the profitability of Alstom's power generation and related services oprations.

The company said it took in orders worth 15.4 billion euros ($20 billion) during the six month period, up 20 percent from a year earlier, which it said lifted its order backlog to two-and-a-half years worth of sales.

The company reiterated its target of lifting its operating margin to around 9 percent by the end of the financial year ending in March 2010, up from 7.8 percent at the end of September.

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