Aug 04, 2006. /Lesprom Network/. Three of Scandinavia's biggest paper manufacturers have reported very different results in half-year figures out this week, Print Week reported. M-real reported a worse pre-tax loss than for the first half of 2005, while UPM's pre-tax profit for the first six months of 2006 was slashed to a sixth of last year's figure. Stora Enso, however, more than trebled its pre-tax profit. Stora Enso's sales in the first half rose 14.1% to Euro 7.2 billion in 2006, thanks to its acquisition of paper merchant group Schneidersohne and increased prices and deliveries. Pre-tax profit soared from Euro 84.5 million in 2005 to Euro 266.7 million in 2006. The firm said that this was due to the success of its Profit 2007 programme and the effect of last year's seven-week labour dispute in Finland. UPM, meanwhile, reported a drop in half-year pre-tax profits to Euro 34.0 million, down from Euro 201.0 million in 2005. The firm is now hoping that a profitability programme put in place in March will reverse the slump. Turnover for the first half of the year was Euro 5.0 billion, up from Euro 4.6 billion last year, although UPM said the two-day Finnish wildcat strikes in May had a 'significant' impact. M-real posted a pre-tax loss of Euro 96.1 million for the first half, on turnover of Euro 2.8 billion, compared to a loss of Euro 66.5 million for the same period in 2005 on turnover of Euro 2.7 billion. President and chief executive Hannu Anttila said that the firm's results were a 'clear disappointment' and added that May's two-day strike in Finland had cost the firm Euro 4 million.