All Market & forecasts Articles

Australia's construction industry contracted for a fifth consecutive month in July according to the latest Australian Industry Group - Housing Industry Association (HIA) Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI).

Lemminkäinen's sales for the first half of the year were up +24% on 2007 at € 1,09 billion. However, the company saw its profits slide compared to the first six months of 2007, with operating profit down -30% from € 24,3 million to € 31,8 million.

Canadian contractor Aecon's order backlog stood at a record CA$ 1.48 billion (US$ 1.42 billion) at the end of June, +22% up on the figure of CA$ 1,21 billion (US$ 1.16 billion) a year previously.

Heidelberg Cement's sales for the first half of the year stood at € 6,93 billion. This represented a rise of +66% on the same period in 2007, and was largely due to the inclusion of Hanson in the figures, following its acquisition in September last year.

Acciona's profits rose +180% in the first half of 2008 thanks to ownership of a stake in Spanish electricity company Endesa. The company's revenues were up +84% for the period.

Vinci reported revenues of € 15,7 billion for the first half of the year, a +15% rise on the same period in 2007. After reporting robust first quarter figures earlier this year, the company continued brisk trading in the second quarter to record a +13.2% increase in second quarter sales over the same period in 2007.

Kobelco's construction machinery sales for the first quarter of the Japanese fiscal year (April to June) totalled JPY 88 billion (US$ 815 million), a +19% rise on the same period in 2007. Operating profit was up +68% to JPY 6,71 billion (US$ 62 million).

Brazil continues to lead Latin American infrastructure investment and is forecast to increase spending in the run up to the 2014 Football World Cup. Richard High reports.

It is not just noise and vibration issues that are driving hydraulic breaker development for Tramac (Montabert in Europe). Now part of DII attachments, the company told D&Ri that its North American customers are increasingly looking for improved reliability and ease of maintenance

Komatsu posted first quarter sales of JPY 607 billion (US$ 5.7 billion), a +12.2% increase on the same period in 2007. In line with improved sales, operating profit also increased by +4.5% on 2007 first quarter figures as the company benefited particularly from sales in emerging economies such as China, Indonesia and the Middle East. In the construction, mining and utility equipment sector, Komatsu reported a +6.4% increase in sales against the 2007 first quarter to JPY 534 billion (US$ 5.0 billion).

Gehl saw its sales for the first half of the year fall -33% compared to 2007 due to the sharp downturn in US residential construction. Operating profit for the compact equipment specialist was down -59% to US$ 10.1 million for the first half of the year.

Metso Minerals had sales of € 1,32 million in the first half of the year, a +11% increase on the first six months of 2007. The division's operating profit was up 12% to € 183 million.

Cemex’s results show a +29% net sales increase to US$ 6.3 billion in the second quarter of 2008 compared to the US$ 4.9 billion figure of the same period last year. Operating income increased by +12% as the company’s higher sales were attributed to the integration of Rinker as well as better supply-demand dynamics in most markets.

Terex posted sales of US$ 5.29 billion for the first six months of 2008 - a record, and a +21% increase on the same period in 2007. In line with these positive sales figures, operating profit also jumped +38% from US$ 288 million in first half results of 2007 to US$ 399 million for six months in 2008.

Euroconstruct has revised its forecast for construction output in Europe downwards this year. Whereas it previously expected modest growth, the group of economic forecasting companies now expects a fall in output. Chris Sleight reports.

Construction spending in China is expected to rise+ 9.2% per annum in real terms through 2012, according to the latest report by the Freedonia Group - Construction Outlook in China.

The latest report on the UK's plant hire market forecasts a market decline of around 4-5% during 2008-9, followed by a flat 2010 before some market recovery in 2011-12.

CNH's construction equipment sales rose +7.5% to US$ 2.61 million in the first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2007.

Volvo Construction Equipment's sales for the first half of the year were up +27% compared to the first six months of 2007, to SEK 31,9 billion (€ 3,37 billion). Operating profit for the period was € 2,93 billion (€ 310 million), a +25% improvement.

Caterpillar had its best second quarter ever this year, with sales up +20% to US$ 13.6 billion for April, May and June. It made a post-tax profit of US$ 1.11 billion for the quarter, a +34% increase on the same period in 2007.