RHI operating profit up 31 pct on high demand

VIENNA, July 31 (Reuters) - Austrian refractories maker RHI (RHIV.VI) posted a 31 percent rise in second-quarter operating profit on Thursday, boosted by the continued high demand for its products from the booming steel and cement industries.

Earnings before interest and tax came in at 51.2 million euros ($79.8 million) in the quarter to June, exceeding the average forecast of a Reuters poll of analysts by 14 percent. Revenues rose 13 percent to 415 million euros.

RHI said it expected a "good course of business" in the rest of the year because of its high order intake, without making a more specific forecast. It said it would have to raise prices "massively" in the coming quarters due to rising input costs. (Reporting by Boris Groendahl, editing by Will Waterman)