Egypt's Alexandria Cement posted a 13 percent gain in first-half net profit, the stock exchange said on Tuesday, defying a slowdown in its Greek parent's main markets. The firm, a subsidiary of Titan Cement, reported net profit rose to LE 286.5 million ($50.32 million) from LE 253.3 million a year earlier. The bourse statement gave no further details. Business in Titan's main markets of Greece and the United States is suffering from a building slump, but its Egyptian unit is seeing strong growth. "The results were as good as you can expect, but they were already factored into the share price, with market talk since last week," said Amr ElFeky, a trader of Cairo Capital Securities. The Egyptian unit plans to buy a 99.9 percent stake in another Egyptian cement maker, Beni Suef Cement Co., which is also owned by Titan. In July, Alexandria Cement received a green light to raise LE 2.45 billion in a rights issue, paving the way for it to sell a 16 percent stake to International Finance Corporation for €80 million ($104.6 million).
