SYDNEY, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Australia's Treasury Wine Estates Ltd TWE.AX , the world's biggest listed stand-alone wine company, said first half net profit jumped 42 percent as it sold more high-end wine in the United States and sales volumes in Asia more than doubled.
Net profit came in at A$60.6 million for the six months to Dec. 31, up from A$42.6 million in the previous first half, while sales rose 22 percent to A$1.1 billion.
The result was helped by a near doubling in earnings in Asia, where the company shipped 1.2 million cases of wine, up from 612,000 the previous year, due to the region's growing demand for imported wine.
Treasury bumped up its interim dividend to 8 Australian cents, from 6 cents.