BERLIN, May 4 (Reuters) - Germany's HeidelbergCement HEIG.DE raised its profit guidance for 2016 after it got off to a better-than-expected start to the year and posted a 7 percent rise in operating earnings for the first quarter.
"The year 2016 has started better than expected," Chief Executive Bernd Scheifele said in a statement on Wednesday.
HeidelbergCement is now forecasting a high single to double digit increase in adjusted operating income and net profit for before one-offs this year excluding its 6.7 billion-euro acquisition of Italcementi ITAI.MI . It had previously said it expected a moderate increase.