Singapore Telecommunications posts 23% growth in first-half net profit

(Reuters) - Singapore Telecommunications on Thursday posted a 23% jump in first-half net profit due to a strong turnaround in partly-owned Bharti Airtel and an exceptional gain from the partial divestment of its stake in Airtel.

Southeast Asia's largest telecom firm, which is going through a strategic reset, said net profit for the half year ended Sept. 30 was S$1.17 billion ($834.22 million), compared with S$954 million a year earlier.

($1 = 1.4025 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by Roushni Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)