Leif Hoegh Chalks Up 9-Month Loss

While Norway's Leif Hoegh reported a net loss for the first nine months of the year, it projects a break-even 1999. The firm reported a net loss of 37 million crowns against a 327 million profit in 1998. It said it had a pre-tax loss of 72 million crowns in January to September against a profit of 347 million in the same period of 1998. The company said that its results were depressed mainly by losses on the sale of shares in shipping firm Bona. Operating profits stayed in the black, declining to 264 million crowns from 491 million.