SIG's first-half profit jumps 24 pct on robust demand in UK

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Building materials supplier SIG Plc (LSE: SHI.L - news) reported a 23.5 percent rise in half-year underlying pretax profit, helped by a robust improvement in the UK residential construction market and a mild winter.

The company, which operates in the UK and mainland Europe, said conditions in mainland Europe remained variable with the French construction market expected to weaken further in the second half.

Underlying pretax profit rose to 41.5 million pounds for the six months ended June 30, compared with 33.6 million pounds a year earlier, higher than the company's expectations set out in July.

Revenue rose 6.5 percent to 1.3 billion pounds. (Reporting by Aashika Jain in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)