LONDON (ShareCast) - Engineering specialist Keller Group reported that its overall trading in the four months to the end of April was in line with expectations in March.

Although the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region was behind, it said this was countered by a strong performance from its businesses in the US, with Asia and Australia on track. As such, its results for the full year remain in line with current market expectations.

Within EMEA, a number of its European markets experienced challenging conditions, while competition remained "intense" in the Middle East.

Both Asia and Africa saw "good opportunities" alongside early signs of activity levels improving in the infrastructure and commercial segments in Australia.

"The total US construction market continues to improve, with private expenditure on construction significantly up on 2013, partly off-set by the continuing decline in public construction expenditure," it said.

"In Canada, the lull in activity levels for major project awards in the oil sands market segment persists, while demand in the commercial, residential and infrastructure segments remains steady."

Year-to-date contract awards are up on this time last year and the value of the like-for-like order book at the end of April, for work to be executed over the next 12 months, is around 10% ahead of the same time last year.

Chief Exectuive Justin Atkinson, said: "2014 continues to be another year of progress for Keller with a particularly strong performance from our US business to date".

NR

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