Paris - French luxury goods giant LVMH on Thursday said net profit fell six per cent in the first half of this year, while sales grew by the same amount.

LVMH, whose assets include jeweller Bulgari, the fashion house Christian Dior and a string of top champagne and spirits brands, said performance remained resilient in Europe despite the crisis while momentum was "sustained" in Asia.

In the six-month period, net profit hit 1.58 billion euros (S$2.6 billion, US$2.07 billion), while sales came in at 13.7 billion euros, which was in line with analyst expectations.

LVMH's flagship fashion and leather goods division, home to the signature Louis Vuitton brand, showed only slight sales growth of one per cent on real terms, the company said, though organic sales, which do not account for external factors, were up five per cent.

The fall in net profit this year followed a banner half-year in 2012, when LVMH's controversial stake in scarf maker Hermes boosted the bottom line with an exceptional dividend.

"It is with confidence that we approach the second half of the year," Bernard Arnault, LVMH chairman and chief executive said in a statement.

Earlier this month, France's financial market regulator fined LVMH a record eight million euros (US$10.4 million) for operations relating to building up the stake in Hermes.