CAIRO- Cigarette maker Eastern Company posted a 2.6 per cent rise in net profit to 851.9 million Egyptian pounds ($150 million) for the year to end-June, helped by a late scramble to avoid a sales tax. Brokerage CI Capital had forecast net profit of 848 million pounds for the cigarette monopoly, which also makes higher-margin brands for multinationals such as British American Tobacco and Philip Morris . "The increase is due to strong earnings growth in the fourth quarter ... as consumers stockpiled in anticipation of higher cigarette prices," Ingy El-Diwany of CI Capital said. The government implemented a new sales tax on cigarettes for fiscal year 2010-2011, raising the prices of local and foreign brands. Egypt's fiscal year starts July 1. "Last year in the fourth quarter there was also a 30 million pound provisions expense (for Eastern) over tax disputes, versus nil for this quarter," El Diwany added. ($1=5.696 Egyptian Pound) .