All Market & forecasts Articles

Downturn ‘accelerates' Italian rental market
Italian rental companies are reporting continued growth in the country's rental market despite the economic situation, with particular opportunities in the south of the country.
European cross-border work rises
Last year saw a record € 64,6 billion of construction work carried out in Europe by contractors working outside their home market according to data from European International Contractors (EIC). This was a +4,5% increase on 2006, and the fourth straight year that the volume of international work within Europe has risen.
European monthly construction output up +0,2% in July
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Commission, reported a June to July increase of +0,2% in construction output in the EU27 Member States, although year-on-year 2007 to 2008 figures for July showed an overall decline of -1,8%.
Go East: infrastructure investment fuels strong growth in Eastern Europe
With house building turning down in the wake of the global credit crunch, European construction output will shrink this year. However, growth is still strong in the developing Eastern economies and the infrastructure market in general looks buoyant. Chris Sleight reports.
Repair and maintenance keep UK construction sector afloat
The latest figures from the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) show construction output in the second quarter of this year (2Q08) suffered a sharp slow-down in new build activity by the private sector.
Poland's residential sector booming
Residential construction in Poland is set to grow until 2010, both in terms of completions and the value of construction output, according to the latest report from market research company PMR.
Australian construction activity falls again, but rate slows
Australia's construction industry continued to decline in August, although the rate of contraction moderated for a third consecutive month, according to the latest report by the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group).
Terex lowers outlook
Terex has revised its forecast for 2008. Instead of US$ 10.5 billion to US$ 10.98 billion revenues it now expects sales to come in between US$ 10.2 billion to US$ 10.6 billion.
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.
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