* Still eyeing buys after Draka, focus is on China, Mideast
* 2010 sales 6.18 billion euros, organic growth 0.4 percent
* 2010 operating margin 4.8 pct, vs target of around 4.5 pct
* Rising metal costs passed on fully, less so for plastics
* Shares up 4.6 percent
(Adds new comments, updates share price)
PARIS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - French cablemaker Nexans expects its sales and profit margin to rise this year, supported by a broad pick-up in activity and an ability to pass higher metal prices onto its customers, it said on Monday.
Set to be overtaken as the world's biggest cable maker by Italian rival Prysmian after losing a bid battle to acquire Draka, the company is also continuing to look at acquisitions, with China and Middle East the priority regions, executives said.
It expects organic sales in 2011 to rise more than 5 percent after a 0.4 percent improvement in 2010, and its operating profit margin to increase to 5.5 percent from 4.8 percent.
The group benefited from a recovery in several markets in the seconf half of 2010, including energy infrastructure in South America and Asia, and construction in North America and Australia, allowing it to exceed its own full-year objectives.
"In this context we are starting 2011 with confidence," Chairman and Chief Executive Frederic Vincent told a results news conference.
"For 2011 as a whole, sales should continue to improve and rise by more than 5 percent."
Growth should be particularly strong in the first half, when organic growth is seen in the high single-digits, a trend confirmed by very good growth in January, Vincent and Chief Financial Officer Frederic Michelland said.
Its shares were up 4.6 percent at 68.45 euros by 1200 GMT.
"The 2010 results confirm a net improvement in fourth-quarter trading as well as efforts to reduce stocks," CM-CIC analysts said in a note.
The dividend was increased by 10 percent to 1.10 euros a share, the company having halved the payout a year ago after a slump in industrial demand hit its 2009 profits.
COMMODITY COSTS
A surge in metals markets was not affecting results, the group said, as it had a well-established practice of passing on the costs of copper and aluminium through price-indexed contracts.
Copper, the main raw material used by Nexans, has hit record prices this month above $10,000 a tonne after rallying on industrial demand led by China and tightening supply.
Copper and aluminium represented just over half of Nexans' operating costs last year, with the company buying about 470,000 tonnes of copper.
In keeping with its sales growth forecast of 5 percent, its copper purchases could be expected to rise to 490,000 tonnes this year, Michelland said.
The firm was not significantly affected by copper theft -- which has jumped in France as prices have soared -- after the group tightened security in 2008 to combat a wave of incidents during a previous price rally, he added.
Rising prices of plastics, linked to higher oil prices, were more of a challenge for the group, which saw a negative impact of 76 million euros last year on earnings before tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).
The group had managed to pass on about 70 percent of cost increases in polymer raw materials and expected to see a similar rate this year, Vincent said.
Nexans' sales last year rose 22.5 percent to 6.18 billion euros ($8.4 billion). At constant non-ferrous metal prices sales were up 7 percent at 4.31 billion euros.
The operating margin was 4.8 percent, ahead of the company's target of around 4.5 percent but down from 6 percent in 2009. Net income amounted to 82 million euros. ($1 = 0.7381 euros) (Reporting by Gus Trompiz, Gilles Guillaume and Astrid Wendlandt; Editing by Greg Mahlich)