Commodities and mining group Glencore PLC reported a narrower first-half net loss and signaled that it’s on track to significantly reduce its net debt by selling unwanted assets to weather the recent commodities turmoil. The world’s third largest diversified miner by market value reported a USD 369 million net loss for the six months ended 30 June, 2016, helped by cost reductions, compared with a USD 676 million net loss in the same period a year before. Revenue fell 6% on year to USD 69.4 billion due to broadly lower commodity prices as well as lower copper, zinc, coal and oil production in the first half compared with the same period a year before. Glencore’s shares have more than doubled so far this year, buoyed by a surge in commodity prices that caught analysts off guard. Production cutbacks, particularly in zinc, and sturdy demand in China, the world’s largest consumer of many commodities, after Beijing’s recent economic stimulus, have contributed to improved prices.