Halma boosts guidance after strong first half

(Sharecast News) - Safety equipment and life-saving tech specialist Halma boosted its full-year targets on Thursday, following a robust first half. Updating on trading, the blue chip said it had made "strong progress" and broad-based growth over the last six months, despite ongoing economic, geopolitical and market uncertainty.

As a result, it reiterated full-year guidance for low double-digit percentage organic revenue growth on a constant currency basis, but boosted margin targets. It now expects the adjusted earnings before interest and tax margin to be around 23.5% to 24%, up from previous guidance for 22.7%.

Halma said the improved margin guidance reflected "continued good operational delivery", the positive impact of recent acquisitions and disposals and a favourable product and portfolio mix across the three sectors - safety, environmental analysis and healthcare - it operates in.

It continued: "This guidance is supported by order intake which remains ahead of both revenue in the year to date and the comparable period last year."

Halma has completed six acquisitions so far this year, with more in the pipeline.

The company, which employs around 9,000 people in more than 20 countries, is due to publish results for the six months to 30 September in mid-November.

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