The Swiss company posted recurring operating profit rising 3.1% to 1.6 billion Swiss francs ($1.78 billion) during the three months to the end of September, slightly ahead of expectations for 1.56 billion francs.
As a result, the company raised its full year recurring operating profit margin guidance to above 17%, up from above 16% previously.
Sales of 7.34 billion francs were in line with expectations in a company gathered consensus of analyst forecasts. The downturn of 8.8% was expected after the company no longer had a contribution from its Brazil and India businesses which it sold last year.
Jan Jenisch, chairman and chief executive, said the improvement in earnings came "despite challenging economic conditions, marked by softer demand in some markets and foreign exchange headwinds".
The stronger Swiss franc, which has risen in recent months as it attracted safe-haven inflows, weighed on the result with Holcim suffering a negative foreign exchange impact of 157 million francs on its operating profit.
($1 = 0.8985 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by John Revill, Editing by Rachel More)
