13th Apr 2016 06:37
LONDON (Alliance News) - Design, engineering and project management consultancy WS Atkins PLC on Wednesday said trading was positive in the fourth quarter to the end of March and its underlying results are set to meet its expectations.
The FTSE 250-listed company said its UK and Europe business is set to show good margin progress in the second half and it has continued to benefit from the commitment made by the UK government to spending on infrastructure projects.
In North America, though parts of WS Atkins have faced challenges from project award delays due to a reliance on federal funding, the group still expects a better second half compared to a first which had taken a hit from bidding costs on major projects.
WS Atkins said activity levels in the Middle East have remained strong, with work starting on the Riyadh metro project in Saudi Arabia and the Doha metro programme in Qatar, while Asia Pacific has traded in line despite a slowdown in mainland China.
The company said its energy business has traded in line, though the performance of its oil and gas-facing business remains mixed given the tough conditions in that market.
WS Atkins will publish results for the year to March 31 on June 16.
By Sam Unsted; [email protected]; @SamUAtAlliance
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