Year off to good start for Noranda

The first quarter of 1995 was the most profitable in six years at Noranda (TSE).

The company’s first-quarter earnings jumped to $158 million from $44 million for the same period in 1994. Revenue rose to $2.1 billion from $1.4 billion, and earnings per common share reached 70 cents, a sharp increase from the 18 cents level of last year’s first quarter.

In its first-quarter report, Noranda attributed its healthy numbers to strong demand for the majority of its base metal and forest products.