UPDATE 1-Austria's EVN 9 mth earnings miss forecast

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VIENNA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Austrian utility EVN (EVNV.VI) missed forecasts in reporting an 11.5 percent drop in 9-month operating earnings on Thursday, amid pressure on margins from rising primary energy prices which it said would continue.

Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) came in at 165.4 million euros ($244.6 million), weighed by higher electricity purchases and primary energy costs, along with higher personnel expenses and higher depreciation and amortisation.

Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast, on average, 173.1 million euros.

Sales, which rose by 8.3 percent to 1.84 billion euros, and net profit, down 14.4 percent to 190.0 million euros, also missed forecasts.

EVN reaffirmed its outlook for the full financial year, saying it would probably not be possible to match the previous year's earnings, given the result of the first three quarters.

EVN shares lost 0.98 percent in early trading to a one-week low of 18.15 euros.EVN shares had already fallen more than 17 percent this year, compared with a 21 percent drop in Austria's blue chip index ATX .ATX.

"The strong price rises for primary energy will put further downward pressure on margins in the energy segment," EVN said in a statement.

In the environmental services segment, several projects started later than originally planned and hence the profit contribution of this business would also be lower than in the previous financial year, EVN added.

The utility, battling to boost growth in its Austrian home market, is expanding in central Europe and the Balkans, where it generates about a third of its sales.

Investors are currently paying 12 times next year's earnings for the stock, below the sector average of paying 15 times expected 2009 earnings. (Reporting by Karin Strohecker; editing by Rory Channing)