TOKYO, Aug 1 Reuters Japanese trading house Mitsui Co on Tuesday posted an 8 fall in firstquarter net profit to 252.8 billion yen 1.8 billion, yearonyear, hit by lower commodity prices.

Japanese trading houses, including Mitsui and its peers Mitsubishi Corp and Sumitomo Corp, posted record profits last year as commodity prices soared on Russian invasion of Ukraine but have warned this year will be weaker.

Mitsui said on Tuesday that its net profit in the first quarter of 20232024 fiscal year took a 44 billion yen hit from a year ago as commodity prices from coal to iron ore and oil and gas went down.

Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv had forecast Mitsui39;s first quarter net profit at 253.7 billion yen. Mitsui shares were 1.1 up at 0521 GMT.

1 142.7700 yen

Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Kim Coghill

Source Reuters