TORONTO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Yamana Gold said on Tuesday its core earnings rose on the back of stronger production and higher gold prices, while net profit fell 60 percent due to a loss on derivatives.
The Toronto-based miner also trimmed its 2009 production outlook slightly, to a range of 1.05-1.1 million ounces from its previous target of 1.1 million ounces.
Setting aside non-cash items, particularly an unrealized loss on derivatives, Yamana earned $88.3 million, or 12 cents a share, up from $31.5 million, or 5 cents a share, a year earlier.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S had expected, on average, a profit of 14 cents a share.
On a net basis, Yamana earned $60.8 million, or 8 cents a share, down from $150.2 million, or 21 cents a share.
Revenue jumped 50 percent to $333.2 million as realized gold prices rose to $962 an ounce from $861, while production rose 34 percent to 314,707 gold equivalent ounces, a measure that records silver production in its equivalent value in gold.
The cost of sales rose slightly to $131.4 million from $126.9 million in the year-before quarter.
Yamana, which has operations in Mexico, and Central and South America, aims to eventually boost its annual output to 1.7 million gold equivalent ounces.
($1=$1.07 Canadian)

(Reporting by Cameron French; editing by Rob Wilson) Keywords: YAMANA/ (cameron.french@thomsonreuters.com; 416-941-8199: Reuters Messaging: cameron.french.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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