Dutch electronics giant Philips yesterday posted a 32.9 percent fall in second quarter profits, hit mainly by the costs of spinning off its lighting business last year. Net income dropped to 289 million euros from 431 million euros over the same period in 2016 "due to lower income from discontinued operations, and higher structuring and acquisition-related charges," the Amsterdam-based company said. But sales grew some 4.0 percent to 4.3 billion euros, with chief executive officer Frans Van Houten saying "performance in the second quarter of 2017 was solid".

He reported "a strong order book" and said "despite continued volatility" in the markets "our outlook for 2017 remains unchanged as we expect further operational improvements".

Second quarter profits in 2016 had also been boosted by 144 million euros won in an international arbitration in the wake of a botched deal to sell its entertainment arm to Japan's Funai electronics company. Philips, which sold its first lightbulb a few years after it was founded in 1891, listed its Philips Lighting division at the end of May 2016, netting proceeds of 750 million euros. It has now reduced its stake in Philips Lighting to 41.16 percent.