Commenting on the results, Neil Carson, Chief Executive of Johnson Matthey said:
"Johnson Matthey continued to perform well in the first half of 2011/12 with growth across all of the group's divisions and a 29% increase in underlying earnings per share.
The short term prospects for the global economy are difficult to predict. Nonetheless we believe that Johnson Matthey is well placed and we currently anticipate that the group's results in the second half will be slightly ahead of those for the first six months of the year.
Notwithstanding current macroeconomic uncertainties, the drivers for our business remain robust. In addition, we continue to increase our investment in research and development to position the group for longer term growth."
The interim dividend is up 20% at 15p per share.
