(Reuters) - Fibre cement maker James Hardie Industries on Wednesday posted a 12% fall in second-quarter profit due to lower sales in its North American operations, the company's largest profit generating wing.

The North American fibre cement division - which contributed over 70% in James Hardie's total sales for fiscal 2024 - brought in net sales of $695.8 million during the quarter, lower than the $734.4 million posted last year.

Uncertainty over mortgage rate direction, especially in North America, has discouraged home owners to shift houses or undertake repair and remodel activities, which has hurt the demand for the company's products.

The 5% drop in the net sales from the division was primarily due to market weakness, partially offset by a higher average net sales price from the company's January 2024 price increase.

The Dublin-based firm posted an adjusted net income of $157 million in the July-to-September quarter, compared with $178.9 million reported last year and a Visible Alpha consensus of $145.9 million.

(Reporting by Sherin Sunny and Sneha Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)