Chemicals maker Orica shares surge as full-year profit goes above $600m ORICA has staged its biggest market rally in six years after chief executive Ian Smith flagged a return to profit growth, citing "green shoots" in key markets. Shares in the Melbourne-based chemicals and explosives maker soared 11.6 per cent to $21.81 yesterday, lifting its market value almost $85 million to $8 billion. It was the sharpest one-day spike for the group since April 2007 and came as Orica posted a full-year net profit of $602 million for the year to September. The profit tally was up 49 per cent on the previous year, when Orica took a $247 million writedown on its mining support business Minova. Without that writedown, this year's result would have been $48 million lower as Orica battled subdued demand. Revenue was up 3.4 per cent to $6.9 billion, with explosives the strongest performer, and despite weaknesses in some of its markets the company declared a final dividend of 55c a share - up 2 per cent. Mr Smith also indicated the group might consider returning more cash to shareholders next year. Directors said net profit before one-off items next year was likely to exceed this year's result. ``However volatile market conditions add a greater degree of uncertainty," Mr Smith said. Talking to BusinessDaily, he said the company was beginning to see a pick-up in sentiment in key markets. North America was ``bumpy but trending in the right direction" with signs of more coal demand as stockpiles fell. There were also good signs in China and even ``green shoots" in the long-troubled European market as quarrying and construction showed positive signs. "You get these three in positive positions and in six months you are in a better place," he said. Mr Smith said the Australian dollar remained a threat to manufacturing. He urged the RBA to "avail themselves" of any opportunity to cut rates, to take heat out of the dollar. Morningstar analyst Peter Rae said the results indicated the business was ``doing things well" in a tough environment.