Manila, Nov 6 - San Miguel Corp, Southeast Asia's largest food and drinks group, said on Thursday it posted net income of 20.9 billion pesos ($431 million) in the first nine months of the year.
After deducting non-recurring items, the nine-month net income amounted to 7.13 billion pesos, it said.
Deducting first half earnings of 19.7 billion pesos, San Miguel had net income of about 1.2 billion pesos in the third quarter against a loss of about 803 million pesos in the same period a year ago.
Analysts expect San Miguel -- which dominates its home market for beer, processed meats, dairy, poultry, and liquor -- to post a 17 percent decline in net income to nearly 9.7 billion pesos this year against 11.7 billion pesos in 2007, according to Reuters Estimates.
The group, partly owned by Japan's Kirin Brewery Co Ltd , is pursuing ventures into heavy industry for the first time in its 118-year history, buying a 27 percent stake in utility firm Manila Electric Co in October.
San Miguel's B shares open to all lost 2.5 percent and its A shares exclusive to locals fell 1 percent in the first nine months of the year, outperforming a 29 percent tumble in the main stock index in the period.
Analysts said most fund managers were not heavily invested in San Miguel prior to the global market turmoil in the third quarter that has depressed asset prices worldwide.