The Financial Post reports in its Thursday edition that Barrick Gold posted a first-quarter profit attributable to equity holders of $295-million, up from $120-million a year earlier (all figures U.S.). A Canadian Press dispatch to the Post says that the gold miner, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says the profit amounted to 17 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, up from seven cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year. Revenue for the quarter totalled $2.75-billion, up from $2.64-billion a year earlier. Barrick says its gold production in the quarter amounted to 940,000 ounces, down from 952,000 in the same quarter last year, while copper production totalled 40,000 tonnes, unchanged from a year earlier. The company realized $2,075 per ounce of gold, up from $1,902 in the same quarter last year, and $3.86 per pound of copper, down from $4.20 per pound a year earlier. Barrick closed Wednesday at $22.52 (Canadian), down 36 cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange.