(Updates throughout after conference call, adds analyst

comment)

    By Seher Dareen

       April 25 (Reuters) - Newmont Corp NEM.N beat Wall

Street estimates for first-quarter profit on Thursday, as the

world's largest gold miner benefited from robust production,

higher prices and lower operating expenses.

    Shares rose 11.2% to a nine-month high of $43.07 as the

company also disclosed strong interest in its asset sale plans.

    Quarterly attributable gold production rose to 1.7 million

ounces from 1.3 million ounces a year earlier.

    The company has disclosed plans to divest non-core assets

and trim its workforce to reduce debt as it completed the about

$17 billion purchase of Australian miner Newcrest in November.

    "We have started the formal process on each of the six

non-core assets, there's a high level of interest across those

processes," Newmont CEO Tom Palmer said in a post-earnings call.

    National Bank of Canada Financial Markets analysts said,

"Given the strong gold price environment, we believe that future

asset sales may prove well timed with respect to maximizing

value received for these assets."

    Spot prices of the precious metal rose about 8.2% in the

January-March quarter, helping the miner realize higher prices

at $2,090 per ounce from $1,906 a year earlier. GOL/

    Sales rose to $4.02 billion from $2.68 billion.

    Separately, Newmont said operations at its Cerro Negro mine

in Argentina have been suspended for an investigation following

the death of two workers on April 9.

    On an adjusted basis, the Denver, Colorado-based company

posted a net income of 55 cents per share, compared with

estimates of 36 cents, according to LSEG data.

    Newmont also got a lift from easing contractor, diesel and

energy costs.

    All-in-sustaining cost for gold, an industry metric that

reflects total expenses associated with production, rose to

$1,439 per ounce of gold from $1,376 a year earlier.

    The company maintained its 2024 forecasts of production of

6.9 million ounces of gold at an AISC of $1,400.

($1 = 1.5375 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna

Chandra Eluri and Sriraj Kalluvila)

((Seher.Dareen@thomsonreuters.com; If in India call +91 74832

70128;))