STOCKHOLM -- Swedish bearings maker SKF forecast stable demand for its main industrial business in the third quarter despite a 13 percent fall in profit over the past three months and cited unexpected signs of improvement in the slumping Chinese car market.

The world's biggest maker of industrial bearings reported second-quarter profit fell due to restructuring and impairment costs, though excluding them earnings beat forecasts, aided by cost cuts.

SKF said its second-quarter operating profit fell to 2.54 billion crowns ($270.47 million) from 2.93 billion a year ago, lagging the 2.62 billion forecast in a poll of analysts according to Refinitiv data.

Excluding restructuring and impairment costs, profit fell to 2.86 billion crowns.

SKF - which derives around 70 percent of sales from its industrial business and the rest from autos - has felt the impact of a slump in car markets globally, especially in China, and signs of slowing demand for industrial goods.

The company, which rivals Germany's Schaeffler, said overall organic sales dipped 2 percent in the second quarter, its first quarterly decline in almost three years, hit by a 7 percent fall in its automotive business alone.

Optimism on China

The company surprised investors by pointing to signs of improvement in the Chinese car market, noting the company's auto business in China had been flat in June.

"Some might be surprised that we see some flattening out in the China automotive market, and actually may be seeing some light in the tunnel," SKF CEO Alrik Danielson told a conference call. "But if you look at China and understand that the downturn there has been going on for quite a while longer than in other markets, then maybe it is not that strange actually."

Chinese car sales dropped 12 percent in the first six months, according to industry organization CAAM.

The company said it expects to see slightly lower volumes overall as it enters the third quarter as industrial volumes remain relatively unchanged and automotive volumes fall.

Citi analysts highlighted SKF's comments on China improving in June, saying "some market observers had believed China volumes were in free fall in June."