Spanish contractor ACS reported first half sales of €19.1 billion, up 1.5% compared to last year thanks to growth in its international activity.

The company - which owns contractor Hochtief and subsequently Leighton- said international business represented 84.6% of its sales, with 39% generated in Asia Pacific, 34% in the Americas, 26% in Europe (of which 15% was generated in Spain).

ACS EBITDA accounted a 2.1% decrease down to 1,545 Euro million, with a margin on sales of a 8.1%, after the sale of several assets in 2012.

Recurrent net profit, excluding the extraordinary results and the contribution of Abertis and Iberdrola, accounted for €310 million, 7.5% lower than the figure recorded last year, affected by the drop in the activity in Spain and a higher tax impact.

Net profit totalled €357 million, a figure that couldn't be compared to the €1.2 billion net loss in H1 2012 as last year's figure was hit by large writedowns on the contractor's investment in energy company Iberdrola.

The company's construction backlog stood at €53.7 billion at the end of June, down 14% compared to the same point in 2012. ACS said this was due to its sale of Thiess Waste Management last year.

ACS has carried out net investments in the period that accounted for €649 million and its net debt is €5,965 million, 30.5% lower than in Jun 2012.

ACS cited two PPP contracts among the most important awards of the period:

• Project for the Ottawa's light train construction (Canada)
• Refurbishment of the highway A1/A6 between Schiphol-Amsterdam-Almere (Holland)

Source: ACS