Australia's Amcor posts H1 profit up 21 pct, reiterates outlook

SYDNEY, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Australian packaging group Amcor Ltd reported a 21.2 percent rise in its first half net profit on Tuesday, driven by solid growth in emerging markets including China and benefits of recent acquisitions

Amcor, the world's top maker of flexible and tobacco packaging, reiterated its outlook for 2014 and said it expected to deliver another year of higher underlying profits.

Net profit after tax before one-offs rose to A$326.6 million ($294.77 million) for the six months ending December, from A$269.4 million a year earlier.

The company demerged its Australasia and packaging distribution division in the period, to focus on its core global business of plastics packaging.

Amcor shares have gained 26.3 percent over the past year, against a 6.3 percent rise in the broad market. The stock closed at A$10.78 on Monday.

($1 = 1.1080 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Maggie Lu Yueyang; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

((maggie.luyueyang@thomsonreuters.com)(+61 2 93731819)(Reuters Messaging: maggie.luyueyang.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: AUSTRALIA AMCOR/