May 08, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. High-technology machinery maker Andritz AG said its 1Q 2009 net profit fell 15%, mainly due to weaker business in its pulp and paper equipment business, as Dow Jones informed Lesprom Network. Andritz reiterated it expects full-year sales to fall by 15%, and net profit "to decrease in comparison to 2008". In the quarter ended March 31, Andritz's net profit came to Euro 25.7 million, down from Euro 30.2 million in the year-earlier quarter. The company said the drop in earnings was due mainly to lower sales and poor capacity utilization in its pulp and paper division, while both its metals business and the segment that delivers equipment for the hydropower industry continued to grow sales. In total, group sales rose 5.2% in the quarter to Euro 790.1 million. Earnings before interest and taxes, or EBIT, fell 5.5% to Euro 41.6 million. Andritz said a wider investment loss in the quarter than a year earlier also weighed on its bottom line. The 1Q investment loss was of Euro 4.2 million, down from a year-earlier loss of Euro 0.5 million.