* Q3 EBIT 114.1 mln euros, tops all f'casts in Reuters poll
* New orders below all estimates
* Keeps 2009 outlook, sees satisfactory profit next year
* Shares rise 4.8 percent
(Adds detail, quotes, share reaction)
HELSINKI, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Finnish engineering group Metso reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the third quarter on cost cuts and steadying demand, adding it expected lower sales but satisfactory profits next year.
"Although there are signs of gradual economic recovery, we estimate that our business environment will continue to be demanding during the rest of the year and first half of 2010," Metso said in a statement.
July-September earnings fell 34 percent year-on-year to 114.1 million euros ($168.2 million), clearly beating all estimates in a Reuters poll of 13 analysts.
Net sales were in line with expectations, but new orders sank 54 percent, missing all analyst estimates.
Shares in Metso rose 4.8 percent to 18.27 euros at 1033 GMT.
Metso stuck to its 2009 outlook for sales to top five billion euros, down from 6.4 billion last year, with profitability to be "satisfactory". It said 2010 sales would fall versus this year, but profitability would remain satisfactory.
Metso Chief Executive Jorma Eloranta has said "satisfactory" profitability means an earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITA) margin of above five percent.
(Reporting by Eva Lamppu; Editing by David Cowell)