Feb 14 (Reuters) - Australia's top gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd (NCM) on Thursday posted a 104 percent rise in first-half profit, buoyed by an increase in gold production and lower cost of mining.
Underlying profit for the six months ended Dec. 31 came in at $237 million, up from $116 million a year ago.
UBS had estimated net profit after tax of $223 million. The company announced an interim dividend of 7.5 cents per share, the same as last year.
