Bareksa.com - Earnings from major companies continue to spill out across the region. The world's number 2 miner Rio Tinto is expected to report a 25 percent rise in half-year underlying profit to around $5.3 billion (USD). But investors want to know how the company is cutting costs and paring debt. Rio has flagged that it wants to get net debt down to around $15 billion (USD) before considering any capital return to shareholders. The picture will likely be bleaker for Taiwan's Acer when it posts second quarter results. The PC maker is expected to swing to a net loss from a net profit in the January to March quarter. (Source : Reuters)