* Q3 underlying EBIT 357 million euros vs forecast 340 million
* Q3 sales down 4.6 percent at 15.59 bln vs forecast 15.61 bln
* Metro says does not expect trends to improve in Q4
* Says has cut 4,900 jobs, restructuring plan delivering
* Shares rise 2.6 percent
(Adds CEO, analyst comment, detail, background, shares)
By Eva Kuehnen
DUESSELDORF, Germany, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Metro AG, the world's fourth-biggest retailer, said on Tuesday it expected fourth-quarter trading to be as tough as the third, when cost cutting helped limit a fall in earnings.
The German group, which runs supermarkets, cash and carry, consumer electricals and department stores, said it does not yet see signs for a quick overall recovery in 2010 as a likely rise in unemployment is seen to offset some economic improvement.
"Clear signs for a fast and sustainable economic upswing in 2010 are so far not discernible," it said in a statement.
However, Chief Executive Eckhard Cordes said the group was taking market share across its divisions and its Shape 2012 restructuring plan was starting to yield benefits.
"On balance we think today's statement is encouraging, with sales and profits ahead of expectations in the key divisions. The early evidence of success of Shape 2012 is also positive," said Barclays Capital analyst James Anstead.
At 1023 GMT Metro shares, which have outperformed the DJ Stoxx European Retail Index by 10 percent this year on hopes for its turnaround plan, were up 2.6 percent at 38.47 euros, valuing the firm at 12.3 billion euros ($18.2 billion).
Economic data are showing signs that Europe is recovering from the worst recession in living memory. But fears about unemployment are holding back spending in some markets.
Germany, Europe's biggest economy, reported last week a surprise fall in September retail sales.
Metro, which runs over 2,200 stores in 32 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia, said third-quarter underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) fell 1.2 percent to 357 million euros, beating analysts' average forecast in a Reuters poll.
Sales fell 4.6 percent to 15.59 billion euros, hit by adverse foreign exchange moves, falling sales at its Cash & Carry and Kaufhof department stores businesses, and lower food price inflation, which in some categories had turned into deflation.
France's Carrefour and Britain's Tesco, the world's second- and third-biggest retailers respectively, have both recently reported similar trends in food prices.
But Metro said the impact was cushioned by cost cutting and firm results at consumer electricals unit Media Markt/Saturn.
COST CUTTING
Metro's Shape 2012 plan aims at fattening profits by 1.5 billion euros by 2012 and sits alongside a number of similar restructuring plans at major retailers as they seek to combat the recession. Carrefour is also running a big turnaround plan.
Cordes told reporters that Shape 2012 had contributed around 70 million euros to earnings in the third quarter, mostly from a reduction in staff numbers of 4,900 over the previous year.
Metro said it remained committed to Russia, where it operates 50 Cash & Carry wholesale stores, after Carrefour said in October it was pulling out of the crisis-hit country.
According to StarMine, which weights analysts' forecasts by their track records, Metro trades at a premium to Carrefour and Tesco. Analysts say this is mainly because its Cash & Carry and its consumer electronic operations are more cyclical than other retailers' businesses and should outperform in a recovery. ($1=.6769 euros) (Additional reporting by Mark Potter in London, Editing by Michael Shields, Mike Nesbit and Hans Peters)