UPDATE 1-Italcementi 9-mth net halves, sees less negative Q4

* 9 mth net profit 103.5 mln euros

* 9 mth revs 3.847 bln euros

* Shares close up 0.91 percent

(Adds details, shares)

MILAN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Net profit at Italy's biggest cement maker, Italcementi SpA (ITAI.MI), fell by nearly half in the first nine months of 2009, but it did find some glimmers of hope in a construction market hit hard by the credit crisis.

"The negative trend in mature countries is expected to ease in part due to the slowdown reported last year, while the positive mood in demand in some emerging countries will continue," the company said in a statement.

Family-controlled Italcementi, the world's No. 5 cement maker, said net profit fell to 103.5 million euros and revenues fell 13 percent to 3.847 billion euros as the economic downturn hit construction activity and demand for construction materials.

It said operating profit for the full year would be lower than in 2008.

The global recession hit France's Lafarge (LAFP.PA) hard in the third quarter, but the world's biggest cement maker said recovery would come to developed markets by the second half of 2010. [ID:nL6713710]

Shares in Italcementi closed up 0.9 percent at 10.01 euros before the release of the results statement. The DJ Stoxx construction and materials .SXOP index was down 0.68 percent. (Reporting by Danilo Masoni, editing by Will Waterman)