SYDNEY, August 6, 2008 (AFP) - Australia's biggest ports and rail operator Asciano Group, the target of a 2.7 billion US dollar takeover bid, Wednesday said it may sell some of its assets as it reported a net loss for the year.

The company, which this week rejected a takeover bid from a US-based private equity firm saying it undervalued the group, delivered a net loss of 182.1 million dollars (167.1 million US) for the year to June 30, 2008.

Asciano, which was formed in June 2007 in a demerger from parent transport and logistics group Toll Holdings Ltd., said its operating business units performed well overall during the year.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), before significant items, increased by 10.1 percent to 677.7 million dollars in the period from June 15, 2007 to June 30, 2008, it said.

'For the period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 inclusive, EBITDA before significant items was 652.9 million dollars, in line with Asciano's previous market guidance,' it said.

The company, which said it expected to perform well in 2008-2009, also said it would consider the partial sale of some of its assets to fund future growth but was not considering selling an entire unit.

Asciano chief executive Mark Rowsthorn said the company wanted a partner or partners that would continue to invest in the business and hoped to raise between 800 million and one billion dollars from asset sales.

'The decision on which businesses to monetise hasn't been reached yet,' he said.

'All businesses are going through an intensive capital planning process, and on the basis of finalising those we'll have a clearer picture in terms of which businesses we'll look at.'

Rowsthorn said Asciano had received many approaches from parties interested in taking stakes in the group's assets but did not elaborate.

Asciano operates container ports in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle and auto, bulk and general cargo services across more than 30 ports in Australia and New Zealand.

The company is a major provider of coal and grain haulage and transports other bulk commodities through its Australia-wide Pacific National rail freight business.

On Monday it rejected a joint takeover bid by TPG Capital, one of the world's largest private equity investment firms, and Global Infrastructure Partners saying it 'undervalues the business'.

Rowsthorn said Wednesday that 'all options remain open for enhancing the value to our securityholders.'

'The board will keep an open mind, of course, for an offer of the whole company that reflects fair value,' he said.

Asciano closed up four cents to 5.08 dollars in an overall rising market.

- Dow Jones Newswires contributed to this report -