BUZZ-BHP Billiton: H1 profit misses, costs rise

** BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) -3.6 pct, 3rd top faller on FTSE 100

** H1 underlying profit rises 25 pct to $4.05 bln, but misses a forecast of $4.3 bln, according to Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) I/B/E/S

** Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) highlights poor cost performance in the coal business, while iron ore unit costs were also slightly ahead of expectations

"..definitely we see cost pressures starting to emerge in the business. Some of them are one-off in nature (but) more generally across the industry cost pressures are starting to re-emerge" - says Andy Forster, senior investment officer at Argo Investments, a top 20 shareholder in BHP's Australian shares

** BHP interim dividend of $0.55 per share, equivalent to a 72 pct payout ratio, was well up on $0.40 a share a year ago

(RM (LSE: RM.L - news) : justin.varghese.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)