Conglomerate Sime Darby Berhad on today said its net profit for the six months to December 2005 surged 64 percent to RM475.21 million.

The conglomerate saw its heavy equipment, motor and energy businesses enjoying double-digit growth during the period, but turned in disappointing results in its plantations and properties divisions.

Plantations and property reported profit falls of 25.4 percent to RM121.4 million and 56.2 percent to RM92.9 million respectively, it said in a statement.

"Sime Darby was not spared from lower palm oil prices that affected the oil palm industry while the absence of substantial land sale gains caused a decline in the property businesss profit," it said.

Its heavy equipment division was the top profit performer, with operating profit rising 17.2 percent to RM257.9 million.

"Heavy Equipment Divisions earnings continued to increase mainly due to continued strong demand from the construction and mining sectors in Australia as well as the Singapore region," Sime Darby said in its results.

The company's pretax profit rose to RM731.35 million from RM557.25 million in the same period.

Sime Darby's board said it was "cautiously optimistic" that results for the second half of its financial year to June 2006 would be satisfactory.