Feb 5 (Reuters) - Australia's James Hardie Industries Plc JHX.AX reported a 10 percent drop in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, as a soft U.S. housing market dealt a blow to sales of the world's biggest fibre cement maker.
The company, whose U.S. cement sales accounts for a majority of total sales, said adjusted net operating profit fell to $65.9 million for the quarter, from $72.9 million a year earlier.
In November last year, the company had cut its full-year earnings guidance, citing uncertainty over the future of the U.S. home building boom which had long propelled its profits.