Balfour Beatty sees ‘difficult’ market

UK-based contractor Balfour Beatty said its order book had remained stable in the year 2011 at over £15 billion (€18.2 billion), as increases in its US construction orders were offset by reductions in UK orders.

The company said that while overall trading remained in line with its expectations, it would continue to manage its business "on the basis that conditions in our core markets will remain difficult".

It added that it would seek to position itself to take advantage of positive medium, and long-term prospects for infrastructure markets.