Mexico's Carso Q1 profit falls 11.8 pct

MEXICO CITY, April 30 (Reuters) - Mexican conglomerate Grupo Carso posted an 11.8 percent decline in first quarter net earnings, hit by lower sales and higher taxes.

Grupo Carso (GCARSOA1.MX), majority owned by tycoon Carlos Slim, said on Thursday it earned 1.164 billion pesos ($82 million) in the January to March period, compared with a profit of 1.321 billion pesos a year earlier.

Quarterly revenue suffered as demand and prices for its copper cable business sank.

Total sales fell 5 percent to 17.1 billion pesos while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, rose 7.7 percent to 2.789 billion pesos. (Reporting by Michael O'Boyle; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)