Signify beats profit expectations helped by US tariff refund

Oct 23 (Reuters) - The world's largest lighting maker Signify beat third-quarter core profits expectations on Friday, helped by an extraordinary US tariff refund and reduced costs of sales.

Following the tariff refund, the company now expects to reach the top end of its annual guidance for adjusted EBITA margin range of 7.5% to 8.5%.

• Signify posted quarterly adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation (EBITA) of €145 million ($163 million), above the €113 million average analysts' forecast seen in a company-compiled poll.

• The US tariff refund resulted in a benefit of €28 million.

• The group reported quarterly sales falling to €1.37 billion, in line with expectations, and said it still expects persistent challenging market conditions in its European and US businesses.

• Signify, which spun off from Philips in 2016, had earlier in the year announced a new dividend policy and medium-term targets, which failed to convince investors of an imminent turnaround.

• The turnaround story included a portfolio review, which would reduce Signify's in-house manufacturing of standard lighting products as it struggled with Chinese overcapacity.

($1 = 0.8921 euros)

(Reporting by Mateusz Rabiega; editing by Izabela Niemiec)