Jiangxi Copper 1st-Quarter Net Profit CNY1.43 Bln

SHANGHAI, Apr 25, 2012 (Dow Jones) -- Jiangxi Copper Co. (0358.HK), China's biggest copper producer by output, said Wednesday its first-quarter net profit fell 9.6% due to higher operating costs.

The Hong Kong- and Shanghai-listed company, which also produces gold, silver and rare-earth minerals, said its net profit for the three months ended March 31 was CNY1.43 billion, down from CNY1.59 billion a year earlier.

The company reported in late March that its 2011 net profit rose 33% to CNY6.55 billion.

First-quarter revenue rose 14.2% to CNY28.8 billion from CNY25.2 billion, Jiangxi Copper said.