JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African chemicals and explosives firm AECI Ltd expects to post a 55 percent to 75 percent decline in first-half headline earnings per share, hit by sagging volumes in its key markets. The company which provides products and services to miners and manufacturers in Africa, said profit from continuing operations was expected to be between 40 percent and 60 percent lower. AECI said it expected improved performance in the second half and does not expect full-year headline EPS to be considerably lower than the 412 cents per share achieved in 2008. | 
