ComfortDelGro's earnings climbed 7.9% to $57.7m

Staff, repairs and maintenance costs also rose.

According to OCBC, ComfortDelGro’s 1Q13 results saw revenue increasing slightly by 1.8% YoY to S$870.8m on the back of broad–based growth across its segments while operating profit improved 2.8% to S$95.9m.

Higher staff (+5.1% to S$276.5m) and repairs and maintenance expenses (+1.7% to S$42.9m) were offset by a reduction in fuel and electricity expenditure (-9.7% to S$64.9m). As a result, PATMI rose 7.9% to S$57.7m.

Here's more from OCBC:

The group has benefited from proactive fuel hedges put in place during the lull in fuel prices, and this has helped to mitigate cost pressures in other areas (i.e. increase in hiring related to the Downtown Line) as well as take the sting out of sustained weakness in its SG core bus operations, which saw a wider operating loss of S$5.4m (1Q12: -S$3.7m).

With 60-70% of its diesel and 70% of its electricity requirements hedged for FY13, we expect this trend to continue in the coming quarters.