Anglo Platinum, the world's largest platinum miner, has issued a trading update that suggests first half headline earnings are likely to have made a strong improvement when they are detailed later this month.

The trading statement from the platinum giant suggested that headline earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders for the half-year ended 30 June 2004 are expected to be between 30 per cent and 35 per cent higher than those for the same period in 2003.  Last year, Angloplat experienced a 57 percent fall in half-year headline earnings to 1.1 billion rand. Headline earnings exclude capital, non-trading and exceptional items. 

Angloplat also noted that it had submitted an accountant's report in relation to the trading statement to the JSE in accordance with the listings requirements of the JSE.

The news is likely to prove heartening for shareholders and investors ahead of the announcement of the results on July 27th.