* Full-year EBIT drops 36 percent on forex and recession
* Warns on outlook, no recovery before 2010
* No dividend, aiming for positive adj EBIT
(Adds chief financial officer)
VIENNA, June 29 (Reuters) - Austrian lighting equipment maker Zumtobel AG reported a 36 percent fall in full-year adjusted operating earnings on Monday, scrapped its dividend and warned recovery would only come in 2010.
Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) adjusted for exceptional items and non-recurring expenses fell to 78.9 million euros ($110.5 million) in the year ended April 30.
This was higher than an average forecast of 65 million euros for the full year 2008/2009 in a Reuters survey of six banks.
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Spitzenpfeil said he was unable to give a specific outlook for the current financial year but said it was clear there would be a fall in turnover.
"Our goal is to keep EBIT positive, at least before restructuring costs," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a news conference. He said sales could fall by between 10 and 25 percent.
Zumtobel said in a statement earlier on Monday it expects a further deterioration in the construction industry and, because of its delayed cyclical nature, believes the lighting industry will only reach the worst of the crisis in 2010 before improvement.
Zumtobel shares have gained 30 percent since the start of the year, outperforming the DJ Stoxx European construction index which has risen some 3 percent. (Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz and Sylvia Westall; Editing by David Holmes) ($1=.7143 Euro)