Holcim Group,the Swiss building materials firm, said on Thursday that its first-quarter recurring Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) rose to CHF 532 million from last year’s CHF 493 million – an increase of 7.8%. Recurring EBIT grew 17.1% in local currency. Recurring Earnings Before Interest and Taxes Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) was CHF 1.01 billion, up from prior year’s CHF 970 million. Net sales dropped 2.4% to CHF 5.59 billion from prior year’s CHF 5.73 billion. In local currency, sales grew 3.4%, but sales were flat organically. North America delivered margin expansion wi…