Annual reports for non-financial limited companies, account statistics, 2003

It is the joint-stock companies in transport and communication, and real estate and business activities that have contributed mostly to the improvement in financial items. In transport and communication, the companies had a negative result in financial items of almost NOK 12 billion in the fiscal year 2002. This was turned to a positive result of above NOK 4 billion in the following year. Similarly, companies in real estate and business activities turned a deficit in financial items of over NOK 2 billion in 2002 to a surplus of more than NOK 11 billion¹⁾ in 2003.

In oil and gas industry, the result in financial items the result was inverted, and went down from NOK 8 billion in 2002 to a negative result of above NOK 0.1 billion¹⁾ in 2003. However, net profits in the industry went up from NOK 28 billion in 2002 to over NOK 31 billion¹⁾ in 2003.

Net profit increases twofold

Total operating income for non-financial joint-stock companies increased from NOK 2 354 billion in 2002 to NOK 2 426 billion¹⁾ in 2003, while operating expenses increased modestly. The increase in income coupled with the nearly unchanged expenses caused an increase in operating profit by about 25 per cent in the period.

Joint-stock companies had a total write-down of financial current and fixed assets of almost NOK 40 billion in the fiscal year 2002. The corresponding figure in 2003 was barely NOK 22 billion.

The net profit for joint-stock companies increased twofold, from NOK 62 billion in 2002 to almost NOK 121 billion in 2003, as a result of the improvement in operating profit and financial items.

¹⁾ Corrected 28.11.2005.

Tables:

• Table 1 Selected accounting figures for joint-stock companies. Income statement. 1999-2003. NOK million
• Table 2 Selected accounting figures for joint-stock companies. Balance sheet at 31 December. 1999-2003. NOK million
• Table 3 Key figures for joint-stock companies. 1999-2003