Brazil’s Fibria (FIBR3.SA), the world’s largest producer of eucalyptus pulp, posted on Monday a net profit of 389 million reais ($246 million) for the first quarter, up from 9 million reais a year earlier.
The sale of Fibria’s stake in paper producer Conpacel and of distributor KSR raised earnings in the January-March quarter, the company said in a securities filing.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a gauge of operational profitability known as EBITDA, excluding Conpacel and KSR totaled 607 million reais, up 2 percent from the first quarter of 2010.
Fibria announced in December it had sold its 50 percent stake in Consorcio Paulista de Papel e Celulose (Conpacel) to rival Suzano (SUZB5.SA) for 1.45 billion reais. It also sold paper distributor KSR for 50 million reais.
Net sales totaled 1.548 billion reais in the quarter, up 2 percent from the same period last year.