South Africa's RBPlat FY earnings up 38 pct on higher sales

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Royal Bafokeng Platinum said on Tuesday full-year earnings rose 38 percent, due to higher sales, cost cuts and as currency weakness lifted the rand price of its metals. The mid-tier producer said in a statement headline earnings per share for the year to December totalled 239 cents, the middle of the range it had flagged to the market, from 173 cents a year ago. Headline EPS, which excludes certain items, is the main measure of profit in South Africa. Although the price of platinum fell about 13 percent last year, RBPlat said a weakening in the rand against the dollar meant the average price of its metals rose 10.7 percent in the period. Platinum's primary use is for emissions-capping catalytic converters in vehicles. The company said it does not see prices for its main white metal improving due to available above-ground stocks. Spot platinum on Tuesday was steady at $1,187 an ounce, near 5-1/2 lows reached last month. "We are not counting on platinum group metal prices improving significantly from 2014 levels in the short term, and we will therefore be continuing to focus on containing cost increases," RBPlat said.