* CEO sees Q3 net above analysts estimates of PLN 88.6 mln
* Expects full 2009 net above analysts' PLN 350.8 mln
* Shares rise 1.0 pct against a declining market
(Adds more CEO quotes, detail)
By Adrian Krajewski and Pawel Bernat
WARSAW, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Software maker Asseco Poland expects full-year net profit to grow over 9 percent, beating analysts expectations, after a better than predicted third quarter, its chief executive told Reuters in an interview.
Adam Goral said the group, which continues to build its position as eastern Europe's largest software group through acquisitions, continues to benefit from its own high-margin products and long-term contracts.
"There is no doubt we'll show very good results," he said on Tuesday. "Estimates from 13 analysts show that for the whole year we'll earn 350.8 million zlotys. There are great chances it will be better."
The comments point to an upgrade of earlier forecasts. Goral had previously said Asseco would beat previous market expectations of a 2009 net profit then pegged at 312 million zlotys.
"For the third quarter analysts peg our bottom line at 88.6 million zlotys... Everything points to the fact that yet again we'll show better results than the expected ones."
Asseco is set to publish its third-quarter results on Nov. 13. In the third-quarter 2008 it had a net profit of 77 million zlotys, and earned 322 million zlotys in the whole of 2008, helped by a 30 million zloty one-off gain.
The company earlier said it secured a record backlog of 2.5 billion zlotys for this year, with almost 70 percent of the portfolio linked to its own high margin products.
"It's all thanks to our own software, maintenance as well as big contracts," he said.
Asseco, valued at $1.6 billion, focuses on business software products for clients in finance, like Poland's top bank PKO BP, and the region's leading insurer, PZU.
Analysts have feared the challenges facing the financial sector, due to the ongoing global crisis, would hurt Asseco. But the company has used the malaise to ink small takeovers and establish its position around Europe.
It continues to seek small targets in Spain, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, France, Italy and the Balkans. "We also have one Polish IT target, which we need. The company is unlisted, but profitable and operates in an underestimated branch," Goral said, although he did not elaborate. ($1=2.775 Zloty) (Writing by Adrian Krajewski; editing by Simon Jessop)