TOKYO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Japanese trading house

Mitsubishi ( MSBHF ) on Monday posted a net profit of 203.1

billion yen ($1.4 billion) in the three months to June 30, down

43% from a year ago but beating analysts' forecasts.

An LSEG poll of analysts had expected the company to post

180.3 billion yen in the first-quarter net profit. In the same

period of last year, Mitsubishi ( MSBHF ) saw a net profit of 354.4

billion yen.

This year, the profit was mainly down due to the absence of

gains from asset sales and weaker prices in the Australian

steelmaking coal business, the company said.

Mitsubishi ( MSBHF ) left its forecast for the fiscal year ending next

March unchanged at 700 billion yen.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK/A ) has

taken minority stakes in Japan's top five trading houses,

including Mitsubishi ( MSBHF ).

($1 = 147.6600 yen)