Malaysia Sime Darby's 9-month net profit slumps 48 pct

KUALA LUMPUR May 25 (Reuters) - Sime Darby, Malaysia's largest listed company, reported a 48 percent decline in net profits for nine months ending March 31 at 1.3 billion ringgit ($372.6 million), the firm said in a note to analysts.

Sime Darby, which owns plantation to automobile businesses, earned 2.5 billion ringgit in the same period last year.

Average crude palm oil selling price from its Malaysian and Indonesian palm estates as of March 31 was pegged at 2,127 ringgit a tonne, Sime said.

($1=3.489 Malaysian Ringgit)

(Reporting by Julie Goh, writing by Niluksi Koswanage)