LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - PageGroup reported interim profit and revenue growth on Wednesday on the back of increased hiring from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The recruiter posted profit before tax of £74.6m for the six months ended 30 June, up 11% on the same period last year, as revenue came in 9% higher at £820.5m, with revenue in EMEA, its largest region, up 10% at £427.7m.

PageGroup upped its interim dividend by 5% to 4.30p a share and announced a special dividend of 12.73p per share.

Still, the FTSE 250 company said it was facing more challenging trading conditions in Asia Pacific, where revenue climbed by 8% to £135.0m but was hampered by tariff and trade uncertainty in China and the surrounding area.

Difficulties in the region drove a 1% drop in fee earner headcount to 6,035, but Page said it is attempting to offset this with increased investment in the US and India, the two markets where it has seen the strongest growth.

The company, which focuses on placing candidates mainly in permanent rather than temporary jobs, also warned of a continued "degree of uncertainty" in its future as a result of tariffs in China, Brexit, and slower economies in parts of continental Europe.

Chief financial officer Kelvin Stagg said: "We are pleased with our first half performance, however we remain mindful of challenging macro-economic conditions seen in a number of our regions. We will continue to focus on driving profitable growth, while continuing our strategic investments towards our Vision of 10,000 headcount, £1bn of gross profit and £200m - £250m of operating profit."

PageGroup shares were down 0.62% at 437.48p at 0823 BST.

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