* EPS C$0.56 vs C$1.29
* Includes C$0.58 charge on forex
* Revenue drops 1 pct to C$9.78 bln
TORONTO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - George Weston Ltd said on Tuesday its quarterly profit dropped 52 percent as foreign exchange charges hurt North America's largest baked goods maker.
The company, which also owns Canadian supermarket chain Loblaw Co, earned C$86 million ($81.3 million), or 56 Canadian cents a share during its third quarter, down from C$180 million, or C$1.29 a share for the same time a year earlier.
The company said the latest quarter included a charge of 58 Canadian cents a share related to unrealized foreign exchange losses on a portion of its U.S. denominated cash and short term investments.
Revenue for the quarter was C$9.78 billion, down 1 percent from C$9.89 billion for the same time a year earlier.
Analysts on average were expecting revenue of C$9.90 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Interest expense and other financing charges fell 12.1 percent C$80 million in the quarter.
The company said its operating income declined 4.3 percent to C$333 million, and operating margin fell to 3.4 percent from 3.5 percent. ($1=$1.06 Canadian) (Reporting by Scott Anderson, editing by Dave Zimmerman) ((scott.anderson@reuters.com; +1 416 941 8106; Reuters Messaging: scott.anderson.reuters.com@reuters.net))