Lafarge (LAFP.PA) sold some of its U.S. cement and concrete assets for an enterprise value of $760 million in a move to cut debt and said it is confident it can divest assets worth 750 million euros ($1.07 billion) this year. The world's largest cement maker announced the sale to Colombia's Cementos Argos CCB.CN on Thursday, and the sale price raised expectations that Lafarge could beat its asset disposal goal. The news came as a French newspaper reported the company's plaster activities in Europe and the United States had attracted about 10 potential buyers, including investment funds and industrial players. Lafarge is targeting 750 million euros ($1.07 billion) of disposals this year to cut its debt by 2 billion euros, aiming to improve its financial profile after the 2007 purchase of Egyptian company Orascom Cement for 8.8 billion euros.
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