Irish building materials group CRH today posted a 19 per cent rise in 2007 pretax profit and predicted earnings and profit growth this year.
Pretax profit in the 12 months to the end of December rose to €1.90 billion ($2.89 billion) from €1.60 billion in 2006.
CRH said despite economic uncertainties, the group was "well positioned" across its operations to deal with the "evolving market circumstances".
Having spent €2.2 billion on 78 acquisitions last year, CRH chief executive Liam O'Mahony had said in January that he would be disappointed if the group did not at least maintain the same rate of acquisitions in 2008.
Shares in CRH were trading 2.8 per cent higher at €24.3 by 8.21am, outperforming a 0.7 per cent rise on the wider Irish market. Its London shares were up 3.2 per cent.
