WRAPUP 1-Emerging markets give Holcim, HeidelbergCement hope

* Firms say conditions tough in US, Spain, E. Europe, UK

* Holcim's emerging markets presence slowing EBITDA decline

* Holcim gets rights issue backing for Cemex Australia buy

* Holcim shares down 3.5 pct, HeidelbergCement up 5 pct

By Katie Reid and Christoph Steitz

ZURICH/FRANKFURT, July 8 (Reuters) - Resilient demand in emerging economies is helping cement makers Holcim (HOLN.VX) and HeidelbergCement (HEIG.DE) to cope with crumbling construction activity in many mature markets, the groups said on Wednesday.

Holcim, the world's No.2 cement maker, expects conditions to remain difficult this year as fewer new buildings go up in the United States, Spain and Eastern Europe, while HeidelbergCement grapples with falling sales in the UK. [ID:nL8711576]

But Holcim, whose shareholders backed a move to raise fresh funds for the A$2.02 billion acquisition of debt-laden Cemex's (CX.N) Australian business on Wednesday, said emerging markets were helping to slow a decline in earnings. [ID:nL8437683]

Activity in the construction industry has slowed sharply, notably in maturer markets, due to a slump in property prices and smaller corporate capital budgets, eroding profits across the sector.

On Tuesday, Irish buildings material group CRH Plc (CRH.I) (CRH.L) cautioned trading would remain extremely difficult. [ID:nL7424794]

"There are some markets which are difficult, the U.S., Spain and the UK are still difficult. But ... we are quite positive about the emerging markets, like Asia Pacific and India," Holcim Chief Executive Markus Akermann told reporters on Wednesday on the sidelines of an extraordinary general meeting.

"India has a cement consumption growth of 8 to 10 percent, it depends on the region," Akermann said.

"We had an excellent half year volume-wise in India," he said, adding that Latin America was resilient and Africa and the Middle East had developed positively, while cement consumption in China was up 14 percent in the first four months of the year.

Emerging markets account for some 75 percent of Holcim's cement capacity and it is well placed to benefit from increased spending on infrastructure in developing markets like India, which is investing in railways, shopping centres and airports.

HeidelbergCement, which unexpectedly published five-month key figures showing operating profit of 291 million euros ($406.8 million), also sounded an optimistic note about China and India.