RPT-Portugal's Altri H1 net slumps 54 pct on costs

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LISBON Aug 27 (Reuters) - Portuguese pulp and paper company Altri ALTR.LS on Wednesday posted an in-line 54 percent fall in first-half net consolidated profit to 8.9 million euros ($13.09 million) on higher raw materials and nonrecurrent costs.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ammortisation (EBITDA), fell 12 percent to 41.5 million euros, while operating revenues egded up 3.2 percent to 162 million as sales were boosted by healthy global demand for pulp and paper.

Altri said an increase in costs of timber and chemicals used in wood processing and one-off spending with bringing on-line a new bleaching line at its Celbi unit affected its bottom line.

Analysts in a Reuters survey had predicted Altri would post a net profit of 9 million euros. (Reporting by Andrei Khalip)