CRH profits rise 20% to €383m

FIRST-HALF profits at CRH rose by a fifth to €383 million, despite poor trading at the company’s European operations.

CRH said its US businesses had seen strong growth across all its divisions and when acquisitions were included, operating profits for the six months to end June had risen 68%.

Operating profits at CRH’s three European divisions were subdued because of slow economic growth across the continent and poor weather in the first few months of the year, which hit construction activity.