Profit before interest and tax, at DM220m, should be ten times the 1998 figure.

ECONOMIST: German business

Sony said operating profit -- earnings before tax, depreciation and other adjustments -- would probably remain static this year at Y230bn, even as its sales increase by an expected 10 per cent thanks in part to more advantageous exchange rates.

CNN: Sony posts first full-year profit in 5 years

Volvo pre-tax earnings dropped to 2.9bn Swedish kronor from 4.57bn Swedish kronor a year earlier, while Scania saw pre-tax profit of 2.51bn Swedish kronor from 2.38bn Swedish kronor the year before.

BBC: Peugeot to launch 'massive' cuts

In order to avoid this tax implication, investors often exit their positions before a year, which diminishes their ability to profit from any multiyear gains that may occur in gold.

FORBES: The Gold Showdown: ETFs Vs. Futures