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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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, 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.

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.