Westfield reaffirms outlook, says U.S. tough

MELBOURNE, April 30 (Reuters) - Westfield Group (WDC.AX), the world's biggest shopping mall landlord by market value, reaffirmed its earnings and dividend forecasts for 2009, as its Australian malls lured shoppers even as the country slid into a recession.

Managing Director Steven Lowy said there were signs of a turnaround in sentiment in Britain and the United States, but said times were still tough in the U.S., where the group has 39 percent of its assets.

"Overall leasing conditions in the U.S. are very challenging," Lowy told analysts at a first quarter briefing.

The group raised A$2.9 billion ($2.0 billion) in a share sale in February and put new projects on hold, building a war chest to buy up assets that strapped rivals, like General Growth Properties (GGP.N), might put up for sale. ($1=1.424 Australian Dollar) (Reporting by Sonali Paul)