All Market & forecasts Articles

US construction spending slips in July
US Construction spending slipped -0.6% in July to US$ 1.08 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), according to the latest report from the country's Census Bureau. Year-to-date (YTD) spending in the first seven months of 2008 was down -5.4% from the same period of 2007.
Indian equipment market to overtake Japan in two years
The Indian construction equipment market is set to grow +14% this year according to the latest report from Off-Highway Research. Last year's record volume of 50366 units is forecast to rise to 57350 machines in 2008.
European construction output slips
Mid-year data from Eurostat shows construction activity in the EU27 was –1,8% lower at the end of June than it was a year previously.
Genie's Roger Brown on the AWP slowdown
Roger Brown of Genie Industries, one of the company’s founders, said it was still too early to tell how severe and long the current downturn in the AWP market would be, but said the industry – and Genie – was better prepared for a slowdown than in the past.
PCA sees tough 2009
The Portland Cement Association's (PCA's) summer forecast for the US cement and construction industries says there will be a -7% decline in construction activity in 2009, following on from this year's -9% contraction.
Oil strikes again
Share prices continued to fall in July in reaction to ever-higher oil prices. In the lifting sector this saw a continuation of the fourth major dive in less than a year. Chris Sleight reports
German-built equipment sales peak
German construction equipment and building material machinery manufacturers will see a +8% rise in sales revenues this year according to the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). However, the association expects a decline in 2009 from this peak of € 16,5 billion due to falling orders for construction equipment.
Kajima net profit doubles in fiscal Q1
Kajima, Japan's largest contractor saw its net profit for the first quarter of the fiscal year rise +110% to JPY 6.5 billion (US$ 60 million) compared to the same period last year. The company's revenues were up +22.2% to JPY 412 billion (US$ 3.78 billion) for the three months to the end of June.
Australian construction activity contracts again
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).
Housing slowdown and paving costs hit Lemminkäinen profits
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.
Aecon enjoys record backlog
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 lifted by Hanson and emerging markets
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.
Endesa drives Acciona profits
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 reports healthy first half figures
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.
Asian sales lift Kobelco
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).
Regional report: Latin America
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.
Meeting the need
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 hits record highs
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).
Housing hampers Gehl
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.
Mining drives Metso gains
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.
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