CRH keeps full-year forecasts after slowdown in sales decline

BUILDING materials giant CRH has maintained its full-year forecasts, following a third quarter which saw a slowdown in the rate of decline in the group’s sales.

The largest publiclyquoted Irish company said yesterday via its latest interim management statement, that like-for-like third-quarter sales were down by 4% with final- quarter sales expected to follow a similar trend.

This would mean that second-half sales while still down year-on-year would have fallen less than the first six months of the year, which saw a 10% year-on-year fall in sales.